Queen of Venom
by Flamist.Rika
Summary: <html><head></head>The Garden of Eden, Ivy's garden, is dying and Ivy is missing. On his way back tot he garden, Bane saves a girl who looks just like Ivy- except her name is Lillian. She'd be a perfect replacement for Ivy- if it wasn't for the fact she's too nice. BaneXOC</html>
1. Chapter 1

Queen of Venom

Chapter 1

"That'll be $12.57, please." The clerk said nervously towards the trench-coated figure in front of him, shaking. The customer slammed his fist down on the counter, cracking it, before grabbing the bags of groceries and walking out, a 20 on the now broken counter. "Ha-Have a nice day."

The figure walked through the dark, lamp-lit streets of Gotham City, away from the 7-Eleven. Ominous fog covered the sidewalks and street lightly, as cards drove by in the underbelly of Gotham City. The figure walked past gangsters and thugs, going to a street corner and gently tapping the button to signal to the street lights he wanted to cross. He heard a yell of 'leave me alone', and looked to his right, seeing a ring of greasy thugs across the street, surrounding a girl in a semi circle against the wall of an old building.

She pushed them away, dark red hair visible under the old building's own set of lights, as they grabbed at her. "Stop it!" She yelped, and he looked forward to see if the light had changed from a red orange hand, to a little white person walking. No. He looked over to the street light on the street to his right. Yes, there was a white man. He hastily crossed and made his way to the ring.

"Come on, pretty girl." "Yeah, come play with us." "Little girls shouldn't be out." "That's right, but don't worry, when we're done, we'll walk you home." "That is, if you can still walk when we're done with you." They said, and she pulled out a knife and slashed the arm of one of the thugs, when they reached for her. "BITCH!" They thundered, slapping the knife out of her hand, and then slapped her across the face- hard. The girl yelled out in shock, and slammed into the wall, falling to the ground.

Someone tapped the one who had slapped her, on the shoulder. "What the fuck ya' want-!" They asked, whipping around, the figure standing over them. The man was picked up, and thrown through the wall of the old building, within a few gruesome grunt and yell-filled seconds the thugs were on the ground, and the girl looked up. The figure reached down, and picked the girl up.

"AAH!" She yelled in surprises and he set her on his right shoulder on her belly, the groceries in his left hand. "P-Please-! Put me down!" He kept his hand on her back, and diagonally crossed the street to the street he was meant to be on, continuing on his way.

Eventually, she stopped struggling and laid there, as he descended stairs where the slightest hint of a wrong step would send you tumbling to your death, she clung to him. In the deepest, darkest bowls, there was a thick door way, hidden by even thicker shadows. He pushed it open and closed it, locking it, before walking forward through a tunnel. Vines covered the floor just a foot from the door, and embraced the walls lovingly

He carried her through the tunnels, to a large, underground pool, vegetation all around. In the middle of the pool, was a huge rose bud that opened as he came by? "W…What is this place?" Without a word, he dropped her in the center of the open rose bud. As she yelps and lay against it, she put a hand to her head. "Oww…" He set the grocery bag down, pulling out a huge bottle of plant food, and emptying it into a barrel drum of water.

She tried to get off the flower, as it slowly closed around her, while he put a lid on the barrel drum, picked it up, and shook it up and down to mix the plant fed with the water. He set it down with a clang, walking over to her and ripping off her clothes and she yelled, covering up.

"Oh my god! You're some type of pervert or something, aren't you!" She demanded, The rose bud suddenly quickening it's pace in covering her up. "Who are you!"

"Bane." The figure said to her, as the rose bud closed completely shut around her, and slowly lowered into the pool. Bane took the lid off the oil drum, and began to water all of the vegetation, flowers, the pool the rose bud occupied, as it slipped deeper and deeper into the water.

She stirred in her sleep, shifting her body to get more comfortable. She was laying on…something…whatever it was, she was half-on it. Half of her body was on a cushy, soft gently warmed surface. The other half, her left half, was on something sturdier, much, much warmer. She snuggled closer to the warmth source, opening her eyes to see what this source was.

Bane was laying next to her, asleep. With a scream she pushed herself from him, waking the helpless Bane with a start. There was a splash, as she pushed herself off the rose bed and fallen into the water surrounding it. Bane pulled her put, hands under her arms, and she spat out water in a little fountain spew, as she was pulled back onto the rose bed. "I'll get you something to dry off with." Bane offered getting off the bed while she hugged herself, shivering. He came back with a towel and wrapped her up in it.

"W-where am I?"

"Eden." Bane told her vaguely, drying her off completely as she sat in a dress made of vegetation. She looked down, noticing she was wearing a dress that looked like something straight out of a wedding catalog, in a dark forest green color. Flowers were tucked into the skirts and bodice, but they had fallen out.

"And…who are you again?" She asked, looking at Bane,

"Bane." Bane responded, helping her to her feet and across the petals of the rose, vines coming out of the water and making a bridge for her across the surface of the pool. She tied up her hair in a messy bun on her head, vines coming down and wrapping themselves around her bun of dark red tresses.

"I-I need to get out of here!" She said, picking up the skirts of her dress and tried to leave, Bane picking her up and groaning. "Aaah!" She yelled, as he set her away from the door. She moved to the left and he mimicked her, before she fakes to the right, and went underneath him and towards the door. Bane bent down to grab her, before somersaulted forward after losing his balance, and into the pool as she ran out the doorway she had pushed open.

Bane surfaced and roared, pulling himself out and stomping after her, grabbing his hat and trench coat on the way out. Lillian and ran up the stairs, barefoot, and followed the path he had taken her down. She ran until her lungs felt like they were about to burst, and her feet felt like they were bleeding, until she tripped and fell down. Bane roared once more and lifted her up into the air, "Stop!"

"Baaaack." Bane groaned and turned around,

"No, stop it! I don't want to go back! Put me down!" Lillian begged, but he ignored her, taking her back down to Eden. "I'll scream if you don't put me down!" She threatened, but t fell on deaf ears as Bane continued descending the staircase to the hidden garden. When she opened her mouth to scream, she shuddered instead.

Bane's hand was on her thigh- slowly moving back and forth. The thought of being rapes crossed her mind. There hadn't even been enough light to see hat he looked like fully, but she knew he was big. Even this simple action, gave of a threatening and scary message of 'cooperate or else'. "I-I won't try to run away anymore. Please put me down…I'm not good with heights." Bane listened, stopping, and setting her down. "Th…Thank you."

They stood awkwardly in front of the doors to Eden. Lillian finally looked down at her dress, a ruined mess of what it once was. Mud and unknown germs, crusted on the tattered bottom of the hems, and her feet were caked as well. "…This was so pretty…I'm sorry I ruined it." Bane looked at her feet, before picking her up bridal-style, and going back up the staircase. "W-Where are you taking me now?"

"The store." Bane said simply, and she reached up and bashfully pulled the veil that came with the dress, over her face. When he said 'store' she assumed he'd take her to some type of clothing store. Instead, he took her to a lingerie store. Bane set her down, proud of himself for being of use, before gently pushing her inside the store. "Here." He said, and she blushed,

"This- this is a lingerie store!" She exclaimed, the sales clerks in the store looking over and staring at her, before attacking her. They dragged her away and into the dressing rooms, as Bane sat on the floor. Eventually, a new dress was found for her, a long with some other things. Bane paid them- and accidentally broke some things- so he paid for that too. "You didn't have to do that, Bane." She said uneasily.

It was strange- she had only met him that day, and although he was scary, he was…nice. She felt like she'd known him for a while, but she needed to leave and get back home. Bane was a head of her, carrying all of the bags, after taking them from her. He glanced back, "Ivy…" He growled, and she stopped.

He thought her name was Ivy? "I-I told you my name, already." She murmured to him, but it was too low for him to hear.

He was nice, but he was like all the other men she had met! Every time she got kidnapped, they forgot her name, called her something else, or tried to rape her. When /bane looked back at her, she was completely gone. He looked around frantically, a sticky note on his back held 3 words;

'_You're an asshole.'_

~Next Day~

In a one bedroom apartment in the slums of Gotham City, dwelled Lillian, sleep in her bedroom, in her large, king-size bed. Dark red curtains were pulled over two, close together, tall windows in the bedroom while the bed was against the far walls. On the wall to the right of the door to the bedroom, was a dresser with a tall mirror on it. Lillian sat up, topless and bottomless, mussing her sex-hair from the night before even more, before looking at the place next to her.

No one was there. Lillian noticed coral red letters on the glass of the mirror.

'_I'm leaving you, Lillian. Love, Ramona. P.S. I'm taking Jericho.'_

The note read in the coral red lipstick, hearts everywhere around it. Lillian groaned and fell back onto the bed on her back. Stupid bitch. Lillian looked at her left arm. There was a price tag, dangling loosely from it. The price said 15 dollars, and on the back was the letter 'R'. Stupid BITCH! Lillian got up angrily, pulling the sheets around her and tying them around her, before storming out of her room- and came to a complete stop.

Bane was in her kitchen, in a little apron. Now that she could see him in the light, he wasn't that bad. He wore a wrestling mask and a thick, black collar of spikes. A black tang top barely held in his muscular chest, and black cargo pants were held up with an equally black belt and combat boots. He wore fingerless black biker's gloves that showed the back of his palms in a tight rectangle and went half-way up his lower arm. In the back of his head, a long, green tube exited and went to his left glove, vanishing from sight. Last but not least, there was a metal chest strap, with a button in the middle of the strap on his chest, and a strange black symbol on the button. Bane looked over at her, holding a skillet and a spatula from her kitchen.

"I…made breakfast." He said quietly, and Lillian blinked, before yelling,

"How did you get into my house!"

"Some girl left- let me in." Bane said simply, "I followed you here…"

"Can't you just leave me alone!" She demanded angrily, and Bane flinched. "You keep calling me IVY! My name is Lillian! Just- just go away." Lillian growled. Every time she saw him, he looked like a damn puppy- with a long, bushy wolf's tail, and little wolf ears on top of his sumo mask. Bane walked over to her, looming over Lillian as he looked down at her.

"Make me leave, Lily." Bane taunted, and she quivered. He was so much bigger than her. Lillian looked down, "I made you breakfast." He repeated, walking back to the kitchen, as she went to the bedroom and shut the door behind her, locking it. "Lily?" He back rested against the door.

"I'm not hungry." She said, dropping the blanket, and pulling on some underwear and a shirt and shorts.

"Are you mad?" Bane asked from the other side of the door, "Is it because I followed you home? Or I called you Ivy? I didn't mean to call you Ivy…"

"Then why did you?" Lillian asked,

"She looked a lot like you." Bane said quietly, "Will you…come and eat the breakfast I made?" Lillian hesitated, before opening the door and standing there, Bane on the other side of the threshold. "Let's try this again. My name is Bane."

"I'm Lillian." She said, sitting down at the table in her small kitchen that was barely big enough for him. "I've never had someone personally cook me breakfast before." She said, and Bane chuckled, sliding a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her.

"I came to ask something of you, Lily." Bane said honestly, as she nibbled on her food. "But I'll tell you a little bit about why I'm asking you what I came to ask." She nodded, "A few years ago, my master, Poison Ivy, vanished from Gotham City. I'm sorry for bothering you, but she held such a resemblance to you. The Garden of Eden that I'm currently taking care of while she's gone is dying. It needs a- medium, so to speak- to thrive. Now, what I want to ask you is if you could be the medium, since Poison Ivy looked more like you, I don't think the Garden will notice the difference."

"…So…you want me to be her replacement?" Lillian asked, and Bane nodded. "And…the garden will get better if I become the replacement?"

"It will grow even more beautiful." Bane said, "Will you help me, Lillian?" She blushed, looking down.

"...I don't like it here…so I guess I can try to help, but how will I become this medium you're talking about?" Lillian asked quietly, Bane pulling out a small vial of dark red liquid from a pocket in his cargo pants, dangling it in front of her eyes.

"With this. Her blood. I expect it to be a little painful. If you don't want to help, that's fine. I'll leave." He said, Lillian thinking about it.

"I…I'd like some time…to think this over. Please?" She asked him, and Bane gently set the vial down on the table between them,

"You have a day. You know where to find me." Bane told her, leaving the apartment and Lillian to cover her face with her hands, as he shut the door.

~O~ Garden of Eden ~O~

A large Venus fly trap of monstrous proportions, let out a breath of sulfur, slumping to near-death, panting heavily. Bane looked at it, giving it more plant-food-enhanced water. There was a quiet sound of a footstep, and Bane whipped around, Lillian jolting. "Lily." He said, and she smiled softly, "What brings you here so late?" Her smile dropped a little, and she looked at him.

"The- um- process…does it hurt?" She asked, and Bane shrugged, "Will you…help me through it?" She questioned him shakily, "I…I don't think I can do it alone." Bane walked over and stopped in front of her,

"Yes." He told her, and she smiled, pulling out the vial and opening it, before gulping it down. She stood there,

"I don't feel any-" The vial shattered to the floor and she fall forward, Bane catching her. Her skin was burning, even without touching her, he could feel it. She panted, and he lifted her up, the plants twitching around her and reaching out for her.

Bane walked down through the deeper parts of the Garden-converted catacombs, to the bathroom, and laid her down in a large tub of ice he'd set out earlier, just in case. The vines around him pulled her clothes off, and hung them close. Bane kept his eyes low, mentally censoring her as he slipped her into the tub of ice, and pulled up a stool. Lillian's hair floated on the water, covering mostly everything, as she went to sleep quietly.

"I mistook you for Ivy, Lily." Bane told her, and Lillian shivered from the cold of the bath, and in a moment of consciousness, she looked at him.

"I hope…we find her…so that you won't have to deal with me for long." Lillian told him, and Bane looked at her.

"When you get better, I'll find a better place for you to live." Bane promised, taking her hand and putting it to his face, as she gave him a sideways glance. He put her hand to his left cheek, lowering his head slightly, "You'll be a good mother, to the plants of the world…" He said, saying something else, and looking at her for her response, as she slowly fainted. She couldn't hear him, or feel him. She was hot and cold at the same time, but this was part of the process, right?

Then…why did her chest hurt so badly?


	2. Chapter 2

Queen of Venom

Chapter 2

~3 Months after their meeting~

"So, you need a new name now. You can't go running around with your real name." Bane told her, as she looked over at him, laying on a bed of thick but soft leaves.

"Petunia. I like petunias." Lily said quietly. Even after 3 months, though she gained all of her predecessor's abilities with plants, and the garden thrived, she was unable to move much. Lily only had 5 or 10 minutes of mobility ever hour or so. She had used her time to lay down. She closed her eyes,

"If I had known this would be so taxing on you, I couldn't have offered, Lily." Bane told her, and she smiled gently,

"It's ok." She responded, "I'm trying to move the plants…it's so much harder to do underground." Lily frowned, opening her eyes half-way, staring at the ceiling. "I have a plan…but I need to be outside- some place with windows, maybe." Bane stood up,

"I think I know of a place." Bane told her, "Do you want me to carry you?"

"I don't want to burden you, but that would be nice." Lily responded, her burly bodyguard tucking his hands under her thighs and her upper back. Bane carried her out as she put her hands on her stomach. "Thank you."

"I pledge my services to you, didn't I?" Bane questioned, and she leaned her head against his chest while he carried her. After a while, they came to a large, abandoned hotel. 7 stories tall, most of the windows boarded up as well as the front door. Bane walked around the building, finding an area in the rear where the wall looked weakest.

"Try not to make a mess, Bane." Lily said gently, not wanting to cause a scene, even as Bane thrust his fist through the wall. His fist came out on the other side, and he pulled it back towards him, and avalanche of bricks and long-dried cement, falling at his feet. She sighed, Bane picking her up and setting her on his shoulder, before going into the hotel and up winding flights of stairs to the top floor, a penthouse.

It was one giant floor with a few things here and there. Thick trees hiding the doldrum hotel from view, but a road came from a point unseen, curved in front of the hotel, and went away once more. In the penthouse, there were a few long forgotten furnishings. A large fire place against one wall, dusty couches and a rug in front of it. A kitchen bigger than Lily's whole apartment, and an empty bed frame in the back corner, but aside from that, it was bare. There were windows everywhere, some boarded up, and a pair of dust-fogged glass doors lead out to a small balcony.

"It's cold, here, Bane." Lily whispered, and he set her down on the rug, Bane going over to the windows still in tact, and punching them out, letting in a cool, November breeze. Lily shivered violently from the cold, looking at Bane. He ripped down a few boards from the windows and put them in the fireplace, looking around for matches. When he found them, he lit one and threw it to the dry boards, making a fire. Lily put her hands towards it, smiling gently,

"Is this place suitable enough?" Bane questioned her, and when she nodded, he brushed her hair from her face, "I'm going to look for some blankets or something for you. Stay here," Bane told her, walking off and leaving the room to her and the fire. It was warm, but it felt unwelcoming, and she stood, shuddering from the cold. Her outfit didn't help either.

She wore dark olive green, 100 percent cotton bikini panties, and thigh-high boots of dark forest green, and gloves of the same color that went to her mid-upper arm. For her top, she wore a thin strap of cotton that barely covered her nipples (100 percent cotton). It was humid and warm in the sewer-like level of the Garden of Eden. Lily shivered again, and went over to the glass-door- barred balcony.

The handles were rusty and creaked in agony as she turned the handles, before pushing them outwards. The balcony was a semi-circle of thick cement, and she put her hands on the curved but smooth railing. Wind rustled though the trees, and pulled at her long, dark red hair. Lily smiled as the trees whispered greetings to her and she whispered them back, before looking down stoically to the curved road- and that's when she saw him.

A long, sleek, black car, was at the curve, parked in front of the hotel. It was thickly armored, and jet black, with a strange insignia on the hood- that of a bat. A man stood there, looking up at her. He wore a cape and mask of black, sharp tips on the top of his helmet, like a bat. Lily stared down at him and he stared back up at her, but she turned from him and walked back inside the studio, leaving the doors open.

"Lily, we have to go. The Batman is here." Bane told her, looking around for a way out for her. There was a butler's trolley, in the room, and Bane pulled open the door, the tray at the top floor, "In here." Bane urged softly, picking her up and tucking her into the trolley. "It goes to the kitchen on the first floor- there's one there too." She looked at him sadly. "I'll hold him off."

"Bane, I don't want to go…" Lily said, Bane reaching over and roughly pulled on the rope to send her down. She yipped and the trolley slammed to the first floor. Lily tumbled out the open door and fell to the kitchen floor.

"There was a girl here- where is she?" A dark voice asked, and Lily slowly crawled over to the kitchen doors, peeking out. The black-capes man stood in front of Bane.

"Girl? I'm alone." Bane said, shrugging, "If there was a girl, don't you think we'd be 'knocking boots'?" The man in the cape narrowed his eyes,

"Don't play with me. Was it Ivy?" The man asked, Bane flickered his eyes to Lilly, and looked back.

"No. It was a figment of your imagination." Bane said- before punching the man in the stomach, lifting him off the ground. "Go, now!" Bane yelled, and Lily got to her feet and ran out of the huge hole Bane has made earlier. The Batman tried to get up, but Bane kept him down, Vines coming out and wrapping around Lily, pulling her down into the ground. When she was long gone, Bane withdrew, punched a column out. The ceiling fell down as the hotel quaked from the lost of a support structure, and when the dust cleared, Bane was gone. So was the girl. Batman, was alone, in the old hotel.

~O~O~O~

"Batman ruined everything." Bane growled to himself, in the kitchen, as Lily laid on the bed of roses across the pool, watching him sadly. "I'm sorry, Lily."

"It's ok. It happens. What are you doing over there in the kitchen?" Lilly asked, as Bane walked over with a cup of tea for her. "Oh…Thank you."

"Feeling better?" Bane questioned gently, sitting down, and she sat up,

"I feel as if I could take on the world- better than I have in all my life." Lily told him, and Bane rested his forehead on her right thigh, she reached out and put her hand on his head, setting the cup of tea down. "I want to visit him…The Guardian." Bane looked up at her,

"Guardian?"

"Yes. He talked to me through the grate over there when you go out, when I'm alone. He's nice. I'd like to bring him something…to thank him for talking to me while you were gone." Lily said, Bane trying to figure out who the Guardian was, as she got up and went to the kitchen, pouring some more tea in the biggest dish they had. Bane followed her around, as she grabbed a small basket and collected some fruit from the overabundant garden. Taking the basket and the tea, Bane opened a door that went deeper into the bowls of Gotham. The door groaned with age and irritancy, as it was closed behind them. "Mr. Guardian? Are you down here somewhere?"

These was no response- only rustling and the splashing of the sewer waters. A large shadow, appeared from the other shadows, "Oh, there you are! Thank you for talking to me while I was sick, I'm all better now, Mr. Guardian!" She called to him, setting the basket down and the large dish of tea, on a rusty little bridge that lead from one side of the sewer to the other, over the murky water that ran down the canals. "I brought you some fruit and some tea. I'd like it if you had dinner with us tonight. You can come if you like they'll be an extra seat for you." she said, turning, "Let's let him eat in peace, Bane."

Bane picked her up and carried her back to the upper floor and shut the door, setting her down on her feet. "I will go out and get some meat for Mr. Guardian. He's not good with fruit."

"Don't, I'll go." Bane protested, before she turned around nd put a hand on his abdomen, stopping him as she looked into his eyes.

"How will I recover if I'm always laying down? I'll be fine, just stay here incase Mr. Guardian comes up, ok?" she asked, and Bane nodded dejectedly, "I'll be back soon." she said, pulling on a coat, and walking out of the Garden through the heavy front doors.

~O~ Wayne Manor ~O~

Batman sat in his bat cave, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair, as he looked at the screen in front of him. A database showed a profile on a female criminal, dressed in green, the name across the top said 'Poison Ivy'. Under it, it said, 'Status: Missing.' He stared at the picture, his loyal butler, Alfred, coming to stand next to his chair.

"Poison Ivy, Sir?" Alfred asked, and Batman, also known as Bruce Wayne, shook his head.

"No…" Bruce leaned back in his chair, "I thought I saw her today, when I went to check up on the report of vandalism, I found Bane. We wrestled and some girl ran out, but I saw her on the balcony. She definitely looked like Pamela, but she wasn't."

"Maybe its something that's not in the cards, Sir Wayne. Isn't it your current girlfriend's birthday tomorrow?" Alfred asked, and Bruce stood up,

"That's right- I'll go get her a card." Bruce said, "I want it to be personal." He said, and Alfred bowed, as Bruce left the bat cave, changing, before going to the garage. He picked out a car and drove to the store, parking, and getting out.

He could just have Alfred get the card…but he needed to get out of the mansion anyways. Bruce stood in the isle with the cards, looking at them. Now of them seemed to be perfect… a woman walked into the isle and looked at the cards too. Bruce glanced over at the woman, blinking.

She had long, dark red hair that covered her face, as she stared at the cards. Bruce watched as she reached forward and grabbed a thank you card, opening it. "This…doesn't suit him." She sighed, closing it and putting it back. The woman put a hand to her face, "How sad! None of these seem to help me…" She sighed shakily, Bruce standing up,

"Excuse me, I hate to intrude, but you look troubled." Bruce said to her, and she looked at her, sparkling green eyes gazing shyly into his own brown ones.

"It seems that way." She said, looking at the cards, but turned to him, "I…I was sick and I just recently recovered." She clutched another card she had in her hands, "I want to thank him- my first friend- for talking to me while I was sick and made sure I wasn't lonely, but every card I look at seems to convey the wrong message. I can get him a gift, but I don't know what to get him. I'm sorry, I'm rambling." she said softly, putting the card back.

"I see. It seems I'm having difficulty finding a card as well. A birthday card for my girlfriend." Bruce said,a nd she smiled brightly,

"Oh, how nice." she looked at the birthday cards, plucked one up and offered it to him, "Maybe this one? It has a nice message and you can still add to it if you want." The woman offered, and Bruce looked at the message as she plucked up 2 blank cards.

"You're right, thank you." Bruce said, and she nodded, walking off and paying for them, as he stood in the isle and realized something. The girl was the one he saw earlier, at the hotel- the one Bane had been protecting. "Wait-!" Bruce yelled, but she walked out, Bruce put the card back and went after her. "Excuse me, miss!" The woman glanced back, stopping. "Let me introduce myself- I'm Bruce wayne and I'd like to take you out to dinner." Bruce told her, and she smiled sweetly.

"Not a chance in hell." She said bluntly, and Bruce twitched at her cold rejection. "You have a girlfriend. You may be nice, but I don't date cheaters." The woman said bluntly, and turned around,

"I'm just talking about dinner- not dating you." Bruce said, and she turned around hastily, blushing vibrantly,

"P-Please stop talking to me." She asked sincerely, "My-My brother is very over protective, and very jealous. I-I have to get home, good bye." The woman said, turning away ad quickly walking away. Bruce, did, abandon chase- before pulling up next to her in his sleek, black Bentley.

"He's your brother, what would he care?" Bruce asked, and the woman jolted in surprise and shock, "It's just dinner, no, a movie." She stopped walking and he stopped driving.

"I do not go on dates of any kind with a man who has a girlfriend. I don't even know you!" She proclaimed in embarrassment,

"I'm always on Tv…" Bruce murmured,

"I don't own a TV, and I don't pay attention to the news or current events." She admitted, looking around nervously, "I'm going home, it was nice talking to you." she said, two airs of eyes watching her as she walked off, Bruce getting out of his car. She started to run, and Bruce went after her, afraid that she may get herself into trouble. "Please stay away from me!" She yelled at him, making a sharp turn before someone grabbed her and pulled her into a dark alley. Lillian struggled, before someone whispered into her ear,

"So, I'm an overprotective brother?" They asked and she realized it was Bane. She stopped struggling and turned around, hugging him. Bruce was wandering around, and she had to think quickly, "Let's get you out of here." He offered, and vines came from the ground wrapping around them both, and pulling them down, Bruce looking into the alley to find nothing but shadows and emptiness.

~O~ Garden of Eden ~O~

Lily pulled the meat out of the oven, setting it out on the counter. "Boys, are you hungry?" she called out, and Bane put a piece of wood on the barrel drum he used to use to water the plants, thick vines serving as seats. A large reptilian being, sat at the make shaft table, long reptilian tail swishing behind him. "Mr. Guardian, how's your appetite tonight?" The reptilian creature growled hungrily and flicked his tongue out. "That's what I thought." She set some plates up and gave them their even portions.

"I'm surprised you were able to make dinner so quick, even though you were delayed." Bane said, and she smiled, brushing dust off her little apron (Bane's apron, technically).

"Let's not talk about that, ok? Its depressing enough for me, thinking I can have an intellectual conversation with a man, and he turns out to be a stalker." She said, sitting down, and nibbled on an apple.

"Tha….thank….thank y…you." The reptilian beast said to her, and she smiled,

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Guardian. You kept me company while Bane was gone. Oh, I almost forgot." she squeaked, getting up and going to the kitchen, pulling out a pair of cards. "One for each of you." They took the cards and read the dorky little 'thank you for being so nice to me!' saying.

"Don't get cocky, Killer Croc, it's just a card." Bane told the reptilian beast, and Croc hugged the card to himself, before Lily sat down again, and they all ate. "This is- really good, Lily." Lily smiled,

"Thank you, Bane." She smiled, and Croc helped himself to his portion. They all ate in silence, but it wasn't awkward. It was friendly, warm, welcoming silence. The type of silence where you felt like you weren't an outcast, but amongst people who understood you. Croc finished early and laid his head on her lap for a short nap, since his stomach was full with a home-cooked meal for once. Lily stroked his head, not caring that he was disfigured.

"I think we should make a baby, Lily." Lily looked at Bane in shock, after he said this. "I'm sure Croc would be willing to help." Croc looked up at Lily at the mention of his name, but she stroked his head and he closed his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Lily asked sharply, confused and scared.

"It would be beneficial, if you had a child, especially now since you're not fully through the process of changing." Bane said, and looked at her, "Well?" Lily wondered how in the hell she got herself into this type of situation.


	3. Chapter 3

Queen of Venom

Chapter 3

"Bane, are you shooting up down there?" Lily demanded, Bane almost dropping the needle,

"Not at all-" Bane yelled back, pushing the metal into his arm and injecting ore venom into his veins. Croc flicked his tongue out impatiently, having already taken a dosage. Croc growled, "Shut up." Bane retorted, and Croc huffed, before going up the stairs from the catacombs/bathroom, to Eden. Lily had gone back to the kitchen, and looked over at Croc, as he jumped on her, knocking her to the floor. She yelped, before laughing as he licked her cheek.

"Hey there, Swamp Daddy!" She greeted, and he got off, letting her get up, "You ready for dinner, Big Daddy Croc?" Croc nodded, his tail swishing back and forth. "Well, it's almost done. Go tell Bane to stop shooting up Venom in the bathroom!" Lily said, yelling the last part, before turning back to the dinner, cooking on the little stove in the medium-sized kitchen on the side of the Garden. Croc watched her cook, and opened his mouth wide, looking at her apathetically. "Awe, ok, I guess you can have a little spoonful of the sauce the meat's cooking in." Lily said, and dumped a spoonful of broth into his mouth as he snapped his jaws shut, she tried some herself. "Hm…it's too bland still…maybe some salt."

She reached up and opened a little cabinet- but there was no salt, and she groaned. "Damn it, not again." Bane appeared as she was pulling on a coat, "I have to go to the store again; I'll take Croc with me. Come on Big Daddy, pull on a coat." Lily gently told him, and Croc ran around in a large circle around the Garden, before finding a coat and pulling it on. "Make sure the dinner doesn't catch fire, ok Bane?" Bane nodded and the two left, Croc following her on all fours while in the shadows, standing tall when they entered society. "How did the broth taste, Big Daddy?" she asked,

"Gooood." Croc said, and she smiled,

"Well, I'll give you all the broth in a bowl then, when dinner's done. Here are some gloves." Lily offered, giving him a pair of huge gloves, and he hesitantly pulled them on, "I'm sorry I'm making you wear a coat and gloves, but I don't want you to get caught now." Croc nodded, pulling on a long hat, as they came to the store. "Since we're here, grab a cart, we'll get groceries for this week." Croc went to the shopping carts and tried to rip one out, lifting up 5 or 6 of them. "No, just one." Croc looked back at her, before pulling one cart off and setting the other two down. "On the ground please." He set it down and she took it from him as he hunched over her, "Thank you."

Croc grabbed a few things and put them in the cart, "No, we don't need creamy potatoes mix. I can make potatoes if you want, go get a few bags." Croc shuffled over to the huge bin of potatoes, and picked the whole thing up, "We only need a bag or two, hun, three at the most." Croc looked from her, to the potatoes bin, setting it back down and picking up three bags, before putting them in the cart, following her as she filled it up, "Hm- how about some red wine? It's good for your heart, you know." She put a bottle of wine in the cart and wheeled it to the counter, "You can get one extra thing for yourself if you want, Big Daddy." Croc shuffled away and came back with a bin of sherbet ice cream, and put it in the cart nervously. "That's fine, hun."

"It's you again." Someone said, and Lily looked back, Bruce Wayne, standing just behind her. She blinked, and gently guided Croc closer to the cart. "You pulled a Houdini on me the other day." Lily frowned a little,

"Yes, sorry," she watched Croc wander off through the isles, "If you make a mess, you'll clean it up, right?" Croc nodded stiffly, looking at the products,

"Your brother?" Bruce questioned, and she looked over at him,

"My…Cousin. You only have a few items, would you like to go ahead of me?" She asked, gesturing him forward, and he shook his head, before the cashier began to check Lily's items out and bag them, "Big Daddy, will you help me carry the groceries home?" Lily asked Croc, and he nodded, picking something up, and going over to her, presenting a brownie mix box to her, and she frowned. "I guess I'm a pushover, huh? Put it back, we have a box." Croc trudges off dejectedly, and put the box back,

"So, is there anyway I could get your telephone number?" Bruce asked, "I'd like to get to know you better."

"I don't have a telephone number." Lily said bluntly,

"$278.34" The cashier said, and Lily pulled out her wallet, before Croc pulled out his. Croc pulled out 3 hundred dollar bills, and set it on the counter,

"You don't have to." Croc shook his head at Lily's words, and when she tried to pay, he took her wallet and stashed it in his trench coat. "I guess he'll be paying." The Cashier nodded, and Lily ignored Bruce, the cashier giving the Croc his change, before croc picked up all the groceries.

"You're leaving?" Bruce asked as she pushed the cart back into the cart rack,

"Yes, I'm done shopping, and I have dinner on the stove. Have a good night." Lily said, Croc nudging her forward, glaring at Bruce who shrugged off the look.

"Can I at least get your name?" Bruce asked, and she turned to him,

"I have to get home, bye, Bruce." She said, waving, and walking off, Croc ducking under the doors too-low for him, and following her docilely. When they were in the shadows, Croc shook off the hat, and picked Lily up, setting her on his shoulder as he continued to walk.

"I don't like him. He's very persistent." Lily commented, and Croc growled with agreement. They returned to the Garden and Croc helped put the groceries away with Bane's help. "So- the same guy the other day pestered me again." Lily told Bane, as she salted the meat, trying the brother, "Perfect!" She fed some to Croc's awaiting mouth, and he purred.

"Hm. Maybe he likes you." Bane joked, and she scowled in disgust,

"Eww, don't even say that! He's so stuck up." Lily groaned, "You'll jinx me, Bane, You'll jinx me!" Bane laughed and Croc growled threateningly at the door to the sewer, before throwing himself at the door and barreling down into the lower area. "Croc? Croc, what's wrong?" There were howls and roars from the sewer, and Lily looked pleadingly at Bane, "Go check on him, I'll put the meat in the oven to keep it warm." She told Bane, who ran off and she tucked their meal into the oven. Lily went down to the sewers, as Bane and Croc were wrestling over someone or something. "Boys, this is no time to wrestle!" She told them sternly, clapping her hands.

Bane pushed her into the garden, and vines lashed out, restraining him, but Croc slammed into a wall of the sewers, growling, and thrusting himself back to the area he'd been fighting in- a small silhouetted man, fighting Croc. "Put me down, the Batman is out there!" Bane growled and the vines released him, before he darted out and went against the cloaked renegade once more, as she shut the heavy iron door to the sewers. Lily ran over to a flower and tried to climb in- before falling in with a yelp as Batman came in. The flower closed when his back turned to it, and she stayed still.

"So, this is Ivy's Garden?" He asked, "Where's Ivy?"

"I don't know. It's just Killer Croc and I." Bane said bluntly, Batman looking around, "Where's your warrant, detective?"

"Just…looking…" Batman said, before lifting up a pair of panties Bane has gotten her, and Lily blushed violently. "I didn't know you wore panties like this, Bane." Bane snatched them back,

"My personal life has nothing to do with you." Bane said defensively, and Batman checked the oven while Croc gently poked his snout into the floor Lily hid in. She kissed the tip of his snout, and he pulled back, hissing, before nudging the flower, "Croc!" Croc abandoned Lily and threw himself at Batman in the kitchen, as he opened the oven, almost revealing their dinner.

"Not for you." Croc growled, standing in front of the oven, growling. Batman stood up,

"That's a good smelling meal." Batman said,

"I've been trying out a new recipe." Bane countered, "Leave. We're having dinner." He asked and Batman huffed,

"I know you're hiding something, and when I find that girl, you'll regret hiding her from me." Batman warned, walking off, and vanishing out the front door. Bane locked it, and any other entrance into the Garden, and Croc helped Lily out of the flower she had taken shelter in. Sticky nectar from the flower was all over her lower body, some having even getting into her underwear.

"Mmh- Why was that man here?"

"Looks like Batman wants some of your cookies." Bane said bluntly, making her blush, "You better have no one else's child other than either Croc or I, Lily." Bane told her, and she scowled,

"I'm not having your kids!" Lily yelled, looking at Croc who looked down dejectedly, "No offense, of course." Croc perked up happily, "Ok, um, dinner- get the table ready." Bane and Croc set up the table, as she pulled out their meal, "Oh, would you look at that? It's done." She gave them their portions, and smiled, eating with them. Croc had his own bowl of all the broth and he drank it down before eating his portion.

"Another well-made dinner, Lily." Bane complimented, and she nodded, finishing her portion,

"So, tomorrow, I want to start making Gotham City more earth friendly." Lily said, "Slowly but surely, I want windmills to make the power- it's cleaner, and more efficient. Solar panels should also be in open areas to make up the power, and I want to start as soon as possible, but ease into it, so we don't really bother the companies." Bane nodded, "I can't do anything about the cars, unless we replace them with electric ones." Lily said Croc pushing his muzzle under her hand, and she pets him. Bane scooted closer as Croc began to lick the sticky nectar off her legs and she twitched, "I was- mmh- knock it off, Swamp Daddy." She said, and Bane pulled her into his lap, letting Croc lick her clean from her ankles to her upper thighs. "B-Bane-" She whimpered, hoping he'd stop the reptilian.

"Either Croc or me." He repeated, before she whined and was lifted up and set down away from them.

"I-I'm going to take a bath!" Lily proclaimed bashfully hastily taking her leave. As she undressed, Bane shutting the door behind him. "Bane, please leave."

"Is that what you want?" Bane asked, pulling her over against him as she gasped, holding her dress against her body. His left hand was on her stomach, keeping her against him, his right hand sliding under her dress. She twitched,

"Ahh-!" Lily whimpered, blushing, her right hand holding her dress up and her left covering her face. "St-stop, Bane."

"Don't hide from me, Lily." Bane whispered in her ear, his left hand grabbing the dress and trying to pull it from her grasp, "Unless you want Killer Croc." She shivered under his touch, "Your process is almost over- Ivy was unable to have children, but you should have children. You deserve children, Lily." Bane told her, and Lily looked away from him shyly. He pulled his hand from under her dress, a thin, sticky, translucent fluid between his fore finger, middle, and ring finger on his right hand. He pushed his mask up with his thumb, before licking his fingers, "Amazing," He murmured, whispering in her ear, "Your honey tastes exquisite. Lily's so selfish, keeping it to herself."

Lily squeaked as he picked her up and laid her down on the bathroom floor, "I won't bite…at least, not too much, or too hard. So relax and let me do the work," Bane grinned, lowering his head to her sternum, as she put her hands on his shoulders, trying to push him away.

~O~ Wayne Manor ~O~

"…And I told her, 'how can you bear the shame of walking around in last season's shoes?'. Funny, right? Because she's a fashion wannabe-" The woman babbled as Bruce swirled his wine around in his glass, on the other side of the table. He was bored out of his mind.

He let out a fake chuckled while his mind was really elsewhere. _I don't go out with men who have girlfriends._ The woman's words rang in his head. Who was that huge, burly trench-coated figure with her? Was that her brother she had mentioned? Where did she live? Why didn't she take interest in him? "Stephanie." Bruce said, and the woman stopped talking at her name, "Why do you like me?" The woman smiled a hollow and fake smile.

"Because you're a good man." What a lie. Bruce could see it in her eyes- she wanted him for his money. What did the woman he pursued want? Nothing to do with him, and cared more for her family than for dating him. It was a stab to his ego, but he thought it oddly attractive. "Brucey-bear?" The woman asked. Would the other girl give him a pet name as retarded and embarrassing as the ones his many girlfriends gave him? Bruce told the woman to leave, and broke up with her, going to the Bat Cave to brood over questions running wild in his head.

"Master Bruce?" Alfred asked, and Bruce sat in his chair.

"Alfred…that girl. I want her, but she constantly rejects and eludes me." Bruce told his butler, who frowned slightly.

"Maybe she has a husband she hasn't told you about." Alfred suggested and Bruce blinked.

"You're right! She probably does, that's why she has no interest in me." Bruce proclaimed, grabbing a coat, "I'm going to go look for her, thanks Alfred." He said as he left the Wayne Manor, a few drops of rain hitting the ground just as he drove off in his Bentley.

~O~ Garden of Eden. ~O~

Lily laid in between the two, on her bed of roses. Bane has long fallen asleep to her left, and Croc was generously licking her thighs clean of the molestation she had just endured. She held hands with them, staring at the ceiling. Her left hand's fingers, she laced with Bane's right hand, and her right hand was laced with Croc's left. They had, mostly, forced such a thing on her. Her left hand was on her stomach while her right rested on her right shoulder, Croc laying back and licking his claws lazily, of the sticky sweet love juices they had extracted for her for their 'dessert'. Croc nuzzled her cheek when he was done, and she released his hand and pet him, before releasing Bane's hand and getting off the bed, almost tripping and falling flat on her face.

When, during the course of that naughty act, did she exchange her clothes for Bane's shirt? It was too big for her- so big, it dragged on the floor, and Croc stared at her, "Could you- get me a coat?" Croc went over and grabbed her legs, licking her thighs some more, and she pushed him off, "No more of that, coat please." Croc flicked his tongue and narrowed his eyes slightly, with a half-bored half-unhappy look, before getting her a coat. She pulled it on and went to the front doors of the Garden, vines following her foot steps and racing out in front of her to make a flower bed path for her to walk on, Croc following her quietly, as she walked outside, standing under the arch between Eden and Gotham City.

Rain fell down upon the streets and structures of the city, and she smiled gently, "Look Croc…it's raining. How beautiful." Lily smiled happily pulling the coat closed and walked out, smiling. The rain drenched her, despite her protective coat, and she smiled, holding her hands out to accept and unseen blessing hidden within the rain. Her body shivered, but she didn't feel the cold. Croc talked over beside her on all fours rubbing against her. She pet him; "Isn't this all nice?"

Croc growled, Bane standing in the threshold, having just woken up. Lily smiled happily, "I love the rain…it's so cleansing." Croc climbed up the rocky wall to their right, and sat at the top of it, before letting out a roar as lightning flashed across the sky. Bane took her hand and gently led her back inside,

"Come on back in; let's get you out of that dress and into something that actually fits you." Bane coaxed and she followed, smiling. Croc stayed outside and pushed the doors closed as Bane locked them from inside. Lily changed behind the protective shades of large flower petals, before coming out in an earthy green dress. "There's a room that you can watch the rain from you know." Bane said, opening an almost unnoticeable door to the untrained eye, to the left of the front doors. He opened it, showing off a small stair case and a little room with windows and a chair. "Simple, but, it works for you, right?" Lily nodded, going up and sitting on the chair, watching the rain run down the windows with a peaceful expression on her face. "We're here to accommodate you."


	4. Chapter 4

Queen of Venom

Chapter 4

"What! Those prices are ludicrous!" The junkie growled, and the trench-coated figure shrugged, "$125 for just a few ounces of Venom…!"

"Hey, the price of each hit has sky-rocketed. I'm still dirt cheap. Everwhere else you go, it'll be 200 for a single ounce, I'm giving you 5 for 125. That's 50 an ounce. I have a family to support, ok?" The Dealer said, "So are you going to buy some, or not? I have stuff to do." The customer hesitated, before giving over their money, taking their fix, and leaving. The dealer double checked to make sure he hadn't been ripped off, "Ah- hey, customer, wait up." The junkie turned around, and the dealer handed back some money, "You gave me too much. Here's your change."

"You're one of the most decent Venom Dealers I've ever met." The Junkie told the dealer, before running off. The dealer stashed the money,

"Yeah, yeah- time to hit up Ikea." The Dealer whistled, checking their watch, "Oh, shit, if I don't leave now, she'll get back home before I do." The Dealer said, running off himself.

~O~O~O~

"Swamp Daddy, you're pulling too hard!" Lily whined, Croc on the other end on a studded leash of twisted wire and spikes. "The spikes are digging into my skin, Swamp Daddy, calm down!" Croc stopped, but because he was running along the alleys so fast, when he stopped, she fell over him and they tumbled to the ground. "Hn-" Lilly murmured, waking up- the leash tying Croc and lily together. "Oh, darn it! Please try to go slower next time, Swamp Daddy…(we talked about this, too…)." Lilly asked, and Croc growled, seeing a cat. Unfortunately, his limbs were pinned to his sides from the barbwire leash, and he could only growl and hiss at the cat.

"Let's focus on getting apart first, ok?" Lily asked, and Croc looked at her, ignoring the cat, "Ok, let's see- Roll onto your back." He obeyed, and the leash was loosened. After a few more agonizingly painful minutes, they were untangled, and she stood up. "Ok, ok, I'll let you off the leash, but don't get caught now." She told him gently, un hooking the leash form his collar, and he looked up at her. "I'll go to the pet store and get you some treats- or do you want something else?"

"Collar." Croc growled, and she smiled, touching the sharp wire one he had,

"Ok. I'll get you a bigger, softer collar. Do you want your name on it?" He nodded. "Ok. Behave, now, Swamp Daddy- take the leash back to the Garden, before you go and play, ok?" He took the leash from her hands, "Bye now." Croc crawled away, before looking back at her, "Go play." He turned and ran after the cat he'd seen earlier.

Lily walked to the main street and followed it down, checking every pet store she came across for a collar big enough for Croc to move and eat comfortably in, before coming to the Gotham Pet Depot. She walked to a sales associate, "Hi- I have a very, VERY big dog, and he needs a collar- what's the biggest you've got?" The employee smiled and showed her to the dog section, leaving her to stare at a 10" diameter collar of soft leather, that could be easily expanded to 15". She looked at it- it was a bit heavy. Maybe- Bane would like it if she got him one too?

His collar- the one he was wearing, she could easily bolt to a newer collar, and it could have a little tag on it too. Well, Bane wasn't really a tag person. She grabbed the big collar in a black color, and a smaller one for bane in black too, before going to the tag maker. "Those are some big collars. You must have some very healthy dogs." Someone said, and Lily sighed,

"Or a couple of weirdo relatives." She responded, looking over- no one was in the store. "…How strange. I just saw people not too long ago." Lily murmured to herself, before looking forward and letting out a yelp, stepping back. A thin, ghostly pale man in a pinstrip purple suit with green hair, leaned against the tag making machine, as it wrote out the tag for Croc's collar. "Oh, you startled me, sir. I'm sorry." She said, and the man grinned toothily.

"Sorry, my dear." The man said, side stepping as the tag finished and she smiled thankfully, "I think I've seen you around a few times." They said, their voice a dark, edge tone with mockery hidden in ever extra cranny int heir words. She took the tag and smiled at it,

"I can't say I've seen you before, sir." She told him, walking to the cash register, the cashier hiding under the counter, "Excuse me, I need some help." He stood up and forced the biggest smile,a nd helped her,

"Coy, aren't we? Good sir, make sure her purchases are… on the house." The man grinned, his back to the cashier- the remote device to a bomb, in his right hand that was tucked behind his back and out of Lily's view. "Saaaaayyy- how's about we have a night on the town? You, me, and a carnival? I'm a smooth talker, I hope you know." She smiled at him, the cashier bagging her things,

"I only like men, who can talk me out of my panties in one try, Mr. Smooth Talker." She smiled, waving to him, "Bye-Bye." The man followed her, grinning,

"They call me 'The Joker', because I'm quite…fun." The man said, and Lily mentally groaned. Maybe- she shouldn't have played coy- next time, she'll blow him off harder. She put her fingers to her lips, and whistled, as she walked, "Calling a cab? How about we take my car?" He asked, sliding his left hand under her right hand, and redirecting her to a purple Cadillac in the parking lot. Suddenly, the wirey man was thrown to the ground, far away from her.

Croc growled, giving a crocodilian roar at the man, as he crouched in front of Lily. "What in the hell?" Croc roared louder, as Lily stood there,

"I'm sorry, I like to choose who I date. Come on, Swamp Daddy, let's go home, leave him be. I'm sorry for the trouble, sir." Lily said, pulling on Croc's collar in the directing she was leaving, "Swamp Daddy, we're going," The Joker got back to his feet, and Croc tried to lunch for him, the grasp on his collar holding him back, but he lashed his claws out at the joker and spat angrily all the while. "**Swamp Daddy!**" She said sternly, and he flinched, before picking her up and running off like a frill lizard.

He set her down when they got to the front doors of the Garden, and he pushed open the doors, letting her in, before locking them behind her. Croc sat down and she pulled the big collar out, putting the little tag on it, before wrapping it around his neck. She latched it, and Croc sat up, puffing his chest out abruptly to show it off, and the tag tinkled against his armored body. Lily smiled, and heard a match light, whipping around to see Bane lighting some candles. "Bane?"

"Yeah?" Bane asked, and she gestured to the brand new table, sitting in the kitchen, along with some other things.

"What's going on here?" Lily asked, and Bane looked around at the new furnishings of a legit table, cabinets, and a little pantry, before looking at Lily.

"I have a little bit of extra cash, so, I got a table and make everything look nicer, since Batman seems to take a liking to dropping in." Bane said, blowing the candle out, "I got some candles and food too."

"Oh, well, I got you a new collar. I could take the one you have now and attach it to this one I got for you, if you like. By the way, I think you guys should go out from now on, everyone I meet tries to ask me out and rape me." Lily said bluntly, and Bane grunted,

"That would be the best idea. I was thinking some type of gothic Victorian style furnishings next." Bane said, taking off his collar and handing it to her, "I furnished your little rain watching room- just a little, but, I hope you like it." Lily frowned, "Just go look at it before you judge." Bane told her, Croc running around, the jingling of his tag becoming a quick annoyance. Lily picked up her skirt, and Croc darted over, opening the heavy door for her since it was too thick for her to open.

2" of pure steel, was what the door was made out of, a little slit in it for viewing, but all you would see is the staircase. The room was more of a panic room than a normal little room- a thick lock on the other side of the door. If you wanted to be locked in, you'd have to slide the 5 pound slate from the door, sideways, into the wall.

Lily gasped, the room held a little futon, Bane behind her, as she looked around. There was a 6" tall, circular mattress, in the middle of the little room, wrapped in a comfy fur. "The futon pulls out to another bed." Bane told her, and she hugged him,

"You didn't have to, but thank you." She told him, and he nodded, "Come on- I'll whip up some dinner for you boys." Lily said, patting his chest where the button didn't rest, before leaving the room with Bane behind her.

~O~O~O~

Batman slowly looked all around the city from upon a rooftop. The girl was no where within bat-sight. This was depressing. He'd looked all around an didn't seem to see her. Just workers, putting up solar panels on the rooftops and new windmills being built. Maybe he should check up on his main lead- Bane and Killer Croc. Obviously they were hiding something.

Batman took his secret path to the underground Garden that was once Poison Ivy's, rain falling down upon the city with heavy pitter-patter. He pounded on the door- every way in locked. The door was opened by Bane, "Oh, it's you." Bane said with irritation,

"I just want to talk." Batman said, hands up in surrender, Bane glancing backwards before looking back at Batman.

"…We're having dinner." Bane said, "You- have to take off your cape." Bane told him and Batman took off his hood and cape, entering the Garden, Bane shutting the door. "Do you want something to eat, since you're here?" Croc was watering the plants, looking over at Batman, before clicking his continue and going back o watering.

"I already ate." Batman said, and Croc growled at Bane.

"Don't worry, I picked everything up." Bane told Croc, who nodded and continued. "Last time you were here, you found my- intimates- I tucked them away. That was embarrassing to say the least." Bane said, cutting the meal of a turkey, drenched in mouth-watering sweet and sour sauce, into 3 portions. Croc ran over and sat down at the table eagerly, as Bane set a plate for Bruce anyways. "Help yourself." Bane said.

Batman looked around the room, what wasn't covered in deep, peacock green-colored creeping vines, was thick dark grey walls with some spaces between the stones. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary Aside from a crocodile and a venom junkie living together in a garden of flowers. Stupid homosexuals. He cut up a small piece of turket form the portion he was givena nd ate it. His mind went blank in surprise. "You made this?" He asked Bane, who looked at him silently,

"…Yes. I made it with love and a family recipe." Bane told Bruce, the other two eating their own portions happily. Bruce helped himself, and when they were finished, Croc went off to collect some nectar- from the flowers- for dessert.

"So, who was that girl at the hotel, Bane?" Bruce asked, and Bane looke dover.

"Hm? Oh, that girl. I don't know. I saw her cowering in the hotel, she must have been a homeless girl or something. I thought she didn't need to be involved, considering the fact I was just savaging around for building utensils. To keep the vines of the flowers straight." Bane told him, and Bruce nodded, "Do you know her?"

"Hm? No, I don't, but I've seen her around more after I fought you at the hotel." Bruce admitted,

"Well, it takes a while for Croc to harvest the nectar, but I'd rather you not come here again, Bruce." Bane said bluntly, "I like my peace alone with Croc, right Croc?" Croc looked over, "We like our privacy?" Croc growled,

"Yessss…No interruptions." Croc said, going back to what he was doing.

"What if we were having sex if you came by? That would be awkward and unlucky for you." Bane said to Bruce, who got a mental image. He grabbed his cape and pulled it on, leaving.

"Well, I'll be leaving. Thanks for the meal." Bruce said, leaving, Bane locking the door behind him. Bane went to the door to the little rin watching room, and walked up the stairs, Lily laying on the bed. She sat up while he came up the stairs,

"Is everything ok?" She asked with concern, and he stood at the top of the stairs.

"Batman came…he…ate your portion of tonight's meal…It was good though." Bane said, and Lily sighed, then smiled forgivingly.

"It's ok. I'll find something else to eat." Lily said, standing up, "Is he gone?" Bane nodded,

"I told him that Croc and I like our privacy and what would have happened if he had come while we were having sex." Bane reported, and she nodded, trying to walk past him, "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Bane said, right hand out, Lily walking right into his hand and he pulled her over, the hand on her lower back. "You're not mad?"

"Why should I be mad? Its not like I haven't been denied a meal before. Besides, I'm happy my cooking is liked." Lily said, reaching up and holding Bane's face between her hands, "Let it go." She said, smiling, before continuing to walk off. As she went into the Garden, bane yelled,

"Croc, drop the flower nectar and get Lily!" Bane yelled, and croc set the bucket down, lifting her up into the air. "Since you caught her, you can help yourself." Bae said, and Croc slowly slid his tongue up her neck, Lily quivering over him, "You see that expression she's making? It's making her feel good." Bane told him, Lily struggling in Croc's hold, "Have fun with dessert."

"B-Bane, you're being mean." Lily said, Bane blinking, "You- should give dessert to everyone present." She blushed, "Not just picking the people you like…" She said, "Put me down Croc." Croc did so, and she went back to her rain watching room. The two followed to the door, as they watched her sit down. "…I'm tired." She admitted, laying down,

"You're probably just hungry." Bane said, "We'll get you some food." Lily laid there, gripping her chest, panting lightly. Pain wrapped around her body, but it captured her screams and kept them to feed it's own greed. Why? Why did it hurt so badly?

"Croc…" Lily called weakly, Croc coming up, peeking at her, "The window. Open it. Please." Lily groaned, and Croc went over to the window, opening it, letting the rain in. He laid next to the center mattress, "It feels nice." She said quietly, closing her eyes as Bane came in, "I'm in pain. I can't move."

"Again?" Bane questioned, setting the food down, as Lily laid there.

"I need to go to a hospital…maybe a lab of some sorts. I think my body is rejecting Ivy's blood." Lily murmured. "I'm sorry, but could you just…lay with me tonight?" Croc got on the bed and laid his head on her chest., Bane laying his forehead on her shoulder. She sighed, "Sorry, I just won't feel well." Bane relaxed, Croc growling happily.

"We'll find someplace to take you that's secluded from Batman to get you a physical." Bane said, Lily petting Croc with her left hand, Bane holding her right. She smiled, "I'll find someplace…"He said quietly, slowly falling asleep.

"I know of someone who can help…but she'll need persuasion." Lily said, Bane nodding gently, even Croc was slowly falling asleep. "Croc, help me up," Croc yawned and got off the bed, helping her sit up, and she forced herself to eat, despite the pain of swallowing and chewing. She even shared it with Bane and Croc, before lying back down, the two getting comfortable again. Croc tucked his arm under her head to use as a pillow and bane pulled a blanket over them.

"You two are so helpful." Lily said quietly, kissing Bane on the head, tilting Croc's head up and kissing him on his snout. Croc purred and laid his head back down, tucking his feet under hers, Lily shivering. "Your feet are freezing, Croc…" He only purred in response. The room was cold and warm at the same time, and a vines kept the window open only a crack, small venus fly traps waking up on the limbs to keep bugs out.

They cuddles closer to her, and she slowly drifted off to sleep with them, wondering if she was going to die soon from her reaction to Ivy's blood. If she did die, in her sleep, then she could say she was moderately happy when she did so. Despite the pain that wrapped around her spine like a clingy lover, she laid still as stone. Bane was a little cold, Croc was far colder, but they warmed her. These big puppy dogs, warmed her.


	5. Chapter 5

Queen of Venom

Chapter 5

The lab was quiet and nothing but a blistering white, Ramona Winfield, working long after her shift had ended, lifting vials to the light to look for deformities and imperfections to the human eye. She put them in a machine and pressed a few buttons, before the doors to the lab were thrown across the lab, making her jolt. "Who-who are you people!" Ramona demanded,

"We're your new associates." Someone said, before she was forcefully gagged and tied up, before she was dragged out of the room.

~O~ Garden of Eden ~O~

Ramona was thrown at Lily's feet, Bane and Croc standing behind her. Lily looked down at Ramona. "You stupid bitch." Ramona glared up at Lily, before twitching. "Ungag her." Bane leaned down and untied her gag,

"L-Lillian?" She asked shakily, "W-What happened to you?"

"I'm sick, Ramona." She said gently, "I need help- I'd like it if you ran some tests on me and helped me find if I'm very sick or not at all." Lily said,

"No!" Ramona yelled, "I'm not going to do such a thing!" For the first time since Bane an dCroc has met her, Lillian's features contorted into a mask of pure hatred.

"If I wanted your sarcasim, you stupid, worthless, bitch, then I'd ask for it." Lily said icily, "I don't have time for your games." Vines wrapped around her throat, and Ramona gasped for air as they pulled tighter and tighter. "You will help me…right?" Ramona nodded and the vines withdrew, "Good girl, I knew I could swing you my way. Just like before all of this happened." Lily sneered, making Ramona look away as Lily calmed down.

"What…are your symptoms?" Ramon asked,

"Excruciating pain, immobility, occasional dizziness, moodiness. I had a blood transfusion not too long ago, and I don't think it took well- my original blood it trying to put the newer blood out. Got the transfusion about 4 or 5 months ago." Lily explained, Ramona looking down dejectedly,

"I'll need some DNA, a strand of your hair, and some blood." Lily nodded at Ramona's words.

"Croc, keep an eye on her in the bathroom. Bane, help me with what she asks for." Lily asked, Bane nodded and shutting the door of the Rain Viewing Room.

"What did she do to piss you off so bad?" Bane asked, putting a needle in her arm, and she moaned as he extracted the blood and tied it off.

"She took my dog…" Lily said quietly as he swabbed her mouth with a little cotton swab the scientist had on her. Bane closed the swab, pushing up his mask, and kissing her, before he withdrew.

"And that's my swab." Bane chuckled, pulling his mask back down and stroking her hair, before leaving her in the room, on the futon, and going to give the scientist what she asked for. "Take her back and make sure she works in Lily's benefit." Bane said, and Croc nodded pushing Ramona towards the door,

"Ramona- where is Jericho?" Lily called, and Ramona was allowed to answer,

"He died- in an experiment." with that, Croc moodily pushed her out of the Garden and shut the thick doors behind them. Bane looked at Lily, who stared at the sheets of the futon, her back against the wall for support.

"…Poor Jericho." Lily sighed, Bane looking to see if Croc and Ramona had left. "My poor dog…" Bane looked over, as something fell onto the sheets. Blood, was tricking down onto the beige sheets that kept Lily warm straight from her mouth. She closed her eyes, her lips together, as the blood ran down from the corner of her mouth to her chin, and then to the sheets. "Ah…I need to stop talking, I'm really tired." The blood twitched around her chin, and slunk into her skin, making a ordinate tattoo, as she closed her eyes, vines wrapping around her while she slept. The more she bled, the more the tattoo grew, as if her veins had been tainted with green dye, and could bee seen on the skin.

Bane uneasily left the room, "Bane." He looked back, "I want you to make sure she doesn't screw me over- Croc is a good bodyguard, but he can't tell left from right. You're a lot smarter than him. Double-check everything she does for me." Lily ordered, her eyes narrowing, "I want to go under as quickly as possible." Bane nodded, "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine here."

"…If you insist." Bane said, walking off. As soon as he left, vines branched off bigger ones and wrapped around the entire place, coating it with vines and slither into the sewers, covering them too. Vines pushed into her skin, but she was too deep within her own numbness to feel it. Placing her hands over her ribs, just bellow her breasts, she leaned back and slipped into a peaceful, coma-like slumber, as the Vines wrapped around the room and cradled her, blocking the door from the wondering eye even more.

~O~ Lab of Ramona Winfield ~O~

"Croc, go back to the Garden." Bane said, and Croc growled, leaving, as Bane loomed over Ramona, as she worked, "It seems…you're registering Lillian into the criminal database." Bane said, Ramona froze, as he reached over, "Now, you maybe able to fool Croc, but you won't trick me." Bane tapped some keys on her keyboard, and the entry vanished, as did every key stroke she made. He typed in a few other things, before pulling his hand back after the screen flickered red for a few seconds. "Now, try putting in her name again, and you'll be put into the database in her place." Bane looked at her, "Do you think it's funny to play around when your life is on the line?"

"N…No…" Ramona whimpered, and Bane withdrew, letting her get back to actually working, as he pulled up a chair next to her, watching her screen. "Why- does Lily look like that?"

"Like what?" Bane questioned, barely interested in talking with the woman.

"Like she hasn't slept in days, and she's burdened with something beyond her." Ramona explained, and Bane huffed,

"You don't know what you're talking about. We've asked you to make sure she isn't sick, so just do that and we'll leave you be." Bane told her,

"Why Lillian?" Ramona demanded, tears at the corners of her eyes, "She was a sweet girl! You've turned her into a monster! You and that ugly freak lizard!" Bane stood up, about to say something, before a flower vine, trickled from the corner of the ceiling, drawing both their attentions. A large, blue flower, bloomed with no center, from the vine.

"_You will not speak to them in that tone, Ramona. I'm serious." _Lily's voice rang from the flower. _"You've even gone as far as to beat poor Croc before Bane got there. Don't think you can just get a slap on the wrist for something like that."_

"Lily…" Bane murmured, "You- should be resting!"

"_This flower and vines are conveying my conscious, so I'm not pushing myself. Actually, I believe I've just fallen into a coma. It's weird- it feels like I'm catching up on sleep I've never gotten all my life." _Lily said, _"Any problems?"_

"She attempted to put you in the Criminal Database." Bane reported, pushing Ramona back to working, "I'm looking over everything she does."

"_Good."_

"So, what's it like being in a coma?" bane asked quizzically, before she scoffed,

"_What do you think it's like, flying in a sea of feathers? I may be dying and you're asking me weird questions."_ Lily asked him, _"I want this done TODAY, and soon."_

Bane nodded, and the vine trembled, before withdrawing with a sails, slithering sound. Ramona's computer beeped repeatedly, and Ramona withdrew.

"This- This is impossible!" Ramona yelled, withdrawing, as Bane looked at her curiously, "You really are a monster!"

"What are you talking about now?" Bane asked, Ramona turning the screen to show Bane her findings. It was a image of blood cells and darker, green blood cells.

"Those dark green blood cells? They're killing her other blood cells and multiplying rather slowly. She'll die without a transfusion, and the green blood cells are poisonous to the others." Ramona explained. The blood Bane had given her was killing her? "Whatever you gave her- she needs more of it to live." Ramona admitted sadly, "Bring her in- I can help her."

"Why would you?" Bane asked untrusting, crossing his arms.

"…Because I love her." Ramona admitted bashfully, looking down dejectedly.

~O~O~O~

Croc carried Lily into the lab, as she panted heavily, a few bags of blood around his neck. "Lay her on the autopsy table." Croc obeyed, laying Lily's sickly body on the table, wrapped in a green baby doll and pj shorts of the same color. Lily didn't move in the slightest, aside from her breathing. "Looks like she wasn't lying- she really is in a coma." Ramona voiced, hooking lily up to some machines, "We need to give her more of the blood you gave her- I think it's killing everything off because it was just a little bit. If there's more, it will mix with her blood and, hopefully, multiply."

"If it doesn't?" Bane asked, and Ramona looked at him seriously, "She'll die. I see- what are the chances?"

"She has a 2% percent chance of coming out of this alive- and a 148% change of this going horribly wrong and killing her, or infecting us all with whatever she had now." Ramona told him, and Bane stood there, quiet. Croc looked at him. "Do you still want me to try?"

"…Yes." Bane said, Ramona turning from him and hooking both of Lily's arms up to two bags; one was an iv, and the other, a bag of blood, as the two sat down and watched. Silently hoping that, some how, she'd make it through, although she couldn't pray herself.


	6. Chapter 6

Queen of Venom

Chapter 6

Lily was hooked up to monitors that showed those watching her, the steady beeping was drowned out by the loud thumping of her heart, her chest cut open as Ramona worked. She didn't move, nor did she react against the pain of having new blood pumped into her heart of normal blood. Croc whimpered, Bane trying to help when he could. Her heart splattered her old blood against the walls and began to beat slower, the monitors beeping frantically, "We're losing her!" Lily made no movements as she went into cardiac arrest.

Not a single finger twitched, as Ramona screamed "The blood's not taking!" the vine reappeared in the corners, and tripped out, as if possessed by some creature of rage. It shot out, lashing out blindly. "Make sure those don't get me! I could hurt her!" Bane and Croc fought off the vines as Ramona worked. When she had closed up Lily, the vines shriveled up and died.

~O~O~O~

Shivering, she slowly opened her eyes, staring at the grey-stoned ceiling of a cold room. She shivered again, hugging herself. The woman sat up, setting her feet on the cold floor, and walked out of the room, down a small staircase, looking around. Bane and Croc were in the kitchen, trying to cook something, Ramona tied up elsewhere. "Do you two…need help?" They looked back, before running over to her and hugging her, "Mm, watch the stove." She warned them, walking over and they followed, as she continued what they were trying to make.

"You're back." Bane said stupidly,

"Mhm." She answered quietly, Croc nuzzling her hips, Bane holding her free hand,

"Are you…feeling alright?" Bane asked rubbing her hand between his,

"My head hurts a little." Lily admitted, "You guys…were you trying to cook for me?" Croc nodded, "You two." She chuckled, kissing them both on the cheek, continuing to cook, "How long was I out?"

"A day or two. You'll need to stay here and recover…we brought Ramona too." Bane told her, Lily nodding.

"Bring me Ramona." Lily said, stirring the badly made meal she was trying to salvage. Croc dragged Ramona over, and Lily loomed over her, "I told you, that you'd pay for my dog and treating these two with such disrespect, and disrespecting ME. There for, I will take care of you." Vines wrapped around Ramona's arms and legs, and blood-curdling screams filled the room, and Ramona was ripped apart. Blood was splashed against the walls violently, as thorn-speckled vines ripped at Ramona in a bloody fury.

The limbs say askew on the ground, and Lily sighed, the bloody vines wrapping around her, dying the white of her dress, "My babies are all dirty now," She said sympathetically, as a clean one stirred the stew. "Go clean off." She said, and they slid into the pool. "Stop standing around, boys. If you want dinner, you'll have to get rid of the body. And clean up. Or- is that too much to ask?" Croc whined and got to cleaning, Bane leaving the Garden to get some bleach from the store. "Look, Swamp Daddy, dinner's done." Lily said, moving the soup to a cool burner- before slamming her forehead on the stove as she fell down to the ground.

Bane carried her back to the rain watching room, and laid her down. He covered her with the sheets, and went back to the kitchen, making sure that after him and Croc ate, there would be enough for Lily when she woke up.

She woke up, long enough to eat her portion, before Bane tucked her back in and Croc curled up at the foot of the futon. Immediately after her transfusion, Lily came down with a fever and flu that racked her already weak immune system. Bane and croc ran back and forth, trying to find ways to help reduce her fever. "What are you doing up!" Bane demanded, as Lily stood at the front doors, pulling on a coat, rain pouring down outside. "Get back into bed!"

"We don't have…what we need…to make my…fever… go away." She panted, "I-I'll be right back…" She panted weakly, "D…Don't follow…" With that, she left for the store.

She coughed violently at the counter, "I have…fever." She rasped, and the clerk pointed her to the pharmacy, and she grabbed one of everything that said 'fever reducer' and anything else that helped with her symptoms.

"Oh, Miss Mysterious." A long familiar voice said, and she looked over, Bruce standing there.

"…Why are you always here when I come here?" She panted, "Do you stake this store out?"

"What? No, um, well- you don't look so good." Bruce observed, and she sighed,

"Thank you Captain Obvious-" she panted, before falling into him, "Uh- sorry- I'm sick and everything…(hope you get sick too, asshole.)" Bruce took her stuff into his cart and helped her to the counter, paying for everything, before guiding her to his car. "Are you kidnapping me? I'll scream…" she threatened feebly,

"Alright." Bruce said, setting her in the passenger seat of his car, and Lily passed out as the engine turned over.

~O~ 5 days later ~O~

Lily opened her eyes slowly, seeing a red canopy. With intricate gold cranes embroidered into it. She felt…warm. Sitting up and looking down, she discovered Bruce Wayne- his right hand still lingering on her waist. She shoved his hand off in disgust, looking over before gasping and covering herself. "Why in the world am I naked?" She demanded, covering herself up with the sheets and crawling over the snoozing billionaire to run to the bathroom. She looked around for something to cover herself with, finding a robe.

She pulled the bathrobe on, throwing the sheets back over Bruce, and walking out of the room, finding a way down to the foyer. Opening the door slowly, she slipped outside, looking around. Her stomach twitched and she flinched, "Ahhn-!" She gasped from the pain, shutting the door, and put her fingers to her mouth in a whistle. She heard someone coming, before crouching and running under the view of the tall window, taking cover behind some bushes.

An elderly gentleman in a butler's tuxedo came out, "Miss? Miss!" He called, but Lily stayed quiet and low. The butler went around, looking for her, thankfully, Bruce was no where in sight. Lily slowly walked away from the bush and went to another on, slowly making her way towards the gates of the Manor. Lily opened her robe a little, and checked herself. If last night would have happened how she thought it happened, then there was going to be a mess of problems.

She slipped through the bars of the gate before running down the lane, "There's the miss!" The butler yelled, but she ran faster. Her lungs were pierced and her breathing was rugged when she ran behind a large tree. Lily put her fingers to her mouth, and whistled for Croc, as she slowly pulled herself into a hedge, the butler and Bruce sweeping the area for her.

Croc raised his head from a roof top where he had been snoozing, growled, and ran towards the whistle along the roof tops, before stopping when he saw Bruce and the butler wandering about. He lowered himself and watched in shock and horror, as Lily tried to pull herself deeper into the hedge. Bruce noticed and grabbed her by the waist, hauling her into the air as she yelled in protest. Croc growled angrily, Bruce hauling her back into Wayne Manor, the door slamming shut. He flicked his tail back and forth angrily before running ff the roof and back to his home.

"Get your hands off of me!" Lily snarled at the man, "You are the worst type of man!" She yelled at Bruce, snapping her head to the side to look at him, her crimson hair flying behind her.

"How am I the 'worst type of man', hm?" Bruce asked, and she slashed him across the face with her nails.

"You kidnapped me while I was barely able to stand!" Lily growled, and Bruce put her on her feet in a room, and shut the door when she tried turned to leave. He locked it and she pounded on the door, "Let me the hell out, you bastard! **Let me out!**" Bruce sighed,

"Calm down. You're not being harmed. I'll be right back with food, ok?" Bruce asked, before walking off as she pounded the door. She collapsed once more.

It was no use. She was too weak from her recent surgery and her fever, that she didn't even have the strength to fight back. Damn it. Lily criticized herself about her worthlessness, as she sat captive in the house of her enemy.

~O~ Garden of Eden ~O~

"Shit, not again!" Bane snarled as the food he was trying to make blew up in smoke. In the skillet, was now the charred remains of an egg. It looked like a withed raisin. Bane sighed and threw it in the garbage, "That's… the 15th failed egg to day…" He said to himself disheartendly.

"_It's not hard, you know. You just have to pay attention and put forth some effort. Take it step by step." _Bane remembered Lily telling him, as she pulled on an apron the first week or two she'd been in the Garden. _"I'll cook from now on, don't worry about it."_

Bane gripped the handle of the skillet. She was so encouraging. Even when she laid for dead in his arms, she still smiled.

When was the last time he had tasted her? That sweet, tempting honey she refused to share with anyone other than himself and Killer Croc. His mouth watered at the memory of the taste. Tangy and sweet at the same time. Strangely, she refused to kiss either of them.

Maybe it was because Bane has told her that Poison Ivy gave away poisonous kisses, and she feared that she would give such kisses as well? Did her lips taste as good as her love juices did, he wondered. _Ahhn-! B-Bane! _His face grew hot at the random thought of her moaning his name.

Strange- the more time he spent with Lily, the less he cared for Ivy. And the less they had in common. He'd have to apologize to her when she came back, for mistaking her for Ivy. Where had she gone off too? Bane tried to cook another egg as Croc came in and wrapped around Bane's legs.

"Found Lily." Croc growled, and Bane looked down, "With Bruce Wayne. Kidnapped while at store." Bane looked at him in shock,

"What!" Bane demanded, and Croc nodded, "I'll cook later!" Bane yelped, safely turning off the stove, moving the skillet to a cold burner, before grabbing his coat and hat and running out.


	7. Chapter 7

Queen of Venom

Chapter 7

Cast:

**Lillian "Lily": **A sweet, kind-hearted girl who is the replacement of Poison Ivy. Her dark green eyes and dark red hair get her often mistaken for Ivy. Her body seems to be rejecting the blood she needs to survive.

**Bane: **A companion of Ivy once, he saved Lily from thugs and asked her to be the replacement in Ivy's garden, the Garden of Eden. He acts as a bodyguard for Lily and cares dearly for her safety.

**Killer Croc "Swamp Daddy/ Croc/ Big Daddy": **While Lily was on bedrest after the first injection of Ivy's blood, while Bane was out, Croc kept her company. Lives in the sewers of Gotham, but never smells like them, strangely. He's also become a sort of body guard for Lily, and keeps an eye on her from afar.

**Bruce Wayne: **Everyone knows Bruce Wayne, owner of Wayne Corp, and his bastard alter-ego Batman. He takes an interest in Lily and how little interest she takes in him.

"I'm perfectly fine, please, my brother and cousin-" Lily said weakly, laying in the guest room bed, her back on dozens of fluffy pillows. "I want to go home…please…" A doctor had some over and hooked her up to some monitors. She was, indeed, very sick.

"Not until you're healthy." Bruce said sternly and she sat up,

"I am healthy, please, I want to go home. Those two can't survive without me…" Lily begged, Bruce gently helping her lap back on the pillows. "I won't take your medicine! I wont eat! I won't drink! I wont sleep! Not until I go home!" She vowed, but the doctor had already stuck her to an IV drip to give her the nutrients she needed.

"Where do you live? I'll go get them." She hesitated at Bruce's question, "I only want you to know, that this is for your own good." Lily sadly looked down. "Take the medicine. When you're healthy, I'll let you go home."

"Do you guarantee this, or are you only buying yourself time until you find some other way to keep me here?" She asked him honestly, and she said nothing in return. "You don't like anyone? Maybe another girl? Or a guy?" Bruce looked down,

"You- don't like me, that makes me interested."

"If I liked you, would you leave me alone?" Lily asked quietly, and he got up and left the room to Lily and Alfred, the butler. She looked down silently.

"Miss," Lily looked at Alfred, "Master Wayne is only concerned for you. He doesn't wish you harm." Alfred assured her, and she sighed,

"Thank you for your kind words, but it seems like we both with the same thing- no harm to come to one another. I don't have a problem with him, but, my brother and my cousin are jealous. If I am not around them for a period of time, they turn into mindless thugs that would blindly destroy anything in their path. It's scary…" Lily looked down again, "They don't…get so barbaric when I'm around…but their mentality seems to fade when I leave."

"You're burdened, miss. When you get better, You can go back." Alfred said, but even as he spoke to her, Lily looked through the window from under her dark eyelashes. A pair of glistening, greenish-yellow eyes looked back from the shadows of the shrubbery and garden. Below it, a gaping maw opened, and sharp, jagged white teeth glistened dull grey in the shadows.

"Could I… trouble you for something to drink?" Lily asked, and Alfred smiled kindly, bowing, and leaving the room as well. She watched as the jaws closed, and the gnarled body that the eyes and muzzle belonged to, slunk through the shadows of the trees. And closer to the house. It was too soon. She watched sadly as Croc slinked closer to the house as the sun gave to night. "If I could stay a little longer…maybe I wouldn't be so sick…" Lily murmured to herself. Maybe…she could save Bruce the pain if she put herself between him and Croc. Bruce came in with the drink she asked for.

"I don't know what you like, so, I brought water, apple juice, orange juice, tea. I also have soda." Bruce informed her, sitting on the bed. "Which would you like? Straw or no straw?" Bruce asked,

"Could I get the apple juice with a straw?" Lily asked, and Bruce nodded, giving her what she asked for and setting the tray down. Bruce laid down on the bed, his head in her lap. She stroked his hair, as he rested, the door handle to the room twitching jerkily. She drank deeply from the apple juice, looking over as the figure she had been awaiting. "Please…don't hurt him." Lily asked quietly, hugging Bruce gently. "He's been nice to me." She began coughing violently,

"Fine." A deep voice said, and she removed her hands from Bruce, as a new, stronger, set of arms, wrapped around Bruce. They put him in a sleeper hold and he coughed, struggling,

"P-Please, stop!" Lily sad, and The figure tightened their hold, and Bruce went limp, before he was laid in the bed. "Bane, you were too rough." Lily whimpered. Bane reached down and looked around. "Be gentle when you unhook me from these machines." She requested, and Bane listened. Croc pushed open the door, Alfred sitting in a chair, as Bane carried her down and Croc walked out of the manor. "Thank you for being so nice to me, Alfred." Croc looked over at the butler, before continuing to drawl don the stairs and push opent he front doors.

"Of course, miss." Alfred said, Lilly sitting in the palm of Bane's left hand.

"Um, Your master, is asleep n the guest room." Lily added. Bane carried her out, following Croc, and shut the door behind him, Alfred watching as they left.

~O~ Garden of Eden ~O~

"We'll go out and get the groceries and things from now on." Bane said, as Lily coughed, looking at them, laying on the bed of roses. The flowers has made more beds and chairs around for her. "You'll stay here from now on."

"But…I'll die down her without sun." Lily said,

"You can walk outside, but not too far." Bane admitted, "But you'll be staying around here. Besides, the eco-friendly Gotham plan is just about done. You have to decide what you want to do next."

"I want to- open and 'institution'." Lily smiled, Bane looking at her oddly. "The Criminals of Gotham- I want them all in one place. I want them under one roof so we can make alliances quickly, and give off the guise that we're keeping them in line." Bane smirked,

"Then Croc and I will look around for abandoned hotels to renovate." Bane promised, pushing up his mask before kissing her on the forehead. He set a laptop down in front of her, a flower holding it over her lap, like a laptop desk. "Here, look up things you'd like to wear, and I'll go get them."

"Where do you get all this money you want to spend on me?" Lily asked, and Bane scratched his head.

"Well, I sell Venom, and work as a construction worker on the side. Croc- I don't know, he just always seems to be sitting on cash, even though he doesn't know how to use it." Bane admitted, Croc rolling around on the ground. "He's way too stupid…" Bane sat next to her, holding her hand, "You'll be our prisoner now, since we depend on you." She laughed and searched the internet, Bane writing down both clothes and groceries. "I'll go get these then, Croc will help me carry them. You should take advantage of the proteins in your garden to help you heal." Lily looked at him, helplessness in her dark green pools.

"I think I need real medical attention here." She said, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth.

"And I think I just told you you're not leaving. My mind must be failing me." Bane said sarcastically, and Lily sighed,

"You'd pick on a helpless, sick, little girl when you're 5 times my size and completely healthy? Shame on you, Bane. I can't even defend myself from you, let alone your words." Bane frowned, having yet to pull down his mask.

"Yes, yes, guilt tripping me is the right answer." Bane smirked, kissing her gently. "Say whatever you want, Lily, but you're not leaving." Lily frowned at this, Bane standing up, pulling on his hat. "Croc, I'm leaving. Lily can't leave the perimeters I told you, understand?" Croc barked in response, and Bane left the Garden to go shopping. Croc purred and shoved his face into her abdomen affectionately, his tail wagging back and forth rapidly.

Lily smiled, "I missed you too, Swamp Daddy. I guess I should rest in the flower bud again." The flower rose up from the pool as she walked over, Croc picking her up and gently setting her down in it. It closed and other vines entered from the top of the bud, before the vines shivered. Large bubbles come from the ceiling and other plant life, and down said vines, before going into the flower- as if something was being slowly pumped into the flower. Croc curled up and slept next to the pool.

~O~O~O~

"Lily. Lily," Bane pushed on the petal of the flower bud lightly, "Hey, I can see you in there, wake up." Lily stirred in the bud. The petals opened slightly and Lily laid there, shaking her head, "I'm back." Bane said , smirking, and she smiled up at him,

"Welcome back." She greeted, and he helped her out of the flower's protection. "Do you want me to make dinner?"

"Actually, I just got some small things for us- you seem tired earlier. So, I picked up some light things- a few sandwiches. Do you mind?" He asked, and she shook her head, "Ok, well, then, I'll put them on plates-" Bane turned, and Croc had already eaten all the sandwiches- and about half of the groceries. "Fucking, damn it, Croc, you stupid glutton! That was 2 months worth of food!" Bane growled angrily. Croc whimpered and ran to the sewers, "Sorry…" Bane said, and Lily smiled sweetly,

"Its ok. Don't yell at Big Daddy either, it's not his fault you guys haven't been eating properly." Lily said, sitting down in the closest flower chair. "You should go to a buffet or something to fill yourselves up." She said, huffing as she sat down, "It's getting…a lot more problematic to move. I wonder why." Lily mused ot herself, as Bane put away the rest of the purcheses.

"Well, at least that stupid overgrown lizard didn't eat everything." Bane murmured softly, pulling out two candle sticks and setting them on the table, putting candles on them and lighting the candles, as Lily looked over. "I thought…maybe we could spend some personal time."

"…is this about the 'make babies' thing again?" Lily asked, and Bane sighed,

"If you want kids, you'll have to do it before the process is complete. That's the bottom line." Bane said, "I'm not all for forcing you into it, but it has to be done soon. I'm trying to make it as painless as possible."

"You might as well tie me up and fuck me like a slave." Lily said sarcastically, Bane looking over at her,

"Would you like that? I'm not into bondage really, but if that's how you get off…" Lily looked hurt at his comment when he looked back at her, so he looked away, "I take it back." Bane went around locking the doors that lead into the Garden, and the windows, as Lily sat at the table.

"I like it. It's romantic, thank you Bane." Lily smiled at him, Bane looking away bashfully. "Are you going to eat with me?"

"Yeah- I'll whip something up. I've gotten a lot better since you were gone, but, it all comes out pretty bad." Bane said half-heartedly, but Lily smiled at him.

"Cheer up, ok? No one perfects something their first try. It takes practice." Lily encouraged him as he cooked, from her chair. "It seems as though…I'm slowly losing the use of my legs. It that good or bad?" Lily asked him,

"Well, either Croc or I will have to carry you around everywhere. I don't mind, but I'm wondering why you're having so many problems with the complete adaptation to Ivy's blood." Bane responded, "Ramona did mention something about your body rejecting her blood." Lily gave nothing for him to continue off, so, he started a new topic. "So- a hospital for all the criminals of Gotham, hm?"

"They're people too. They escape to get revenge on that…what did you call him?…Batman? If we held the most violent of them, they will calm down, I'm sure if we ask nicely, they'd be willing to stay if provided their freedom." Lily said, "If we ask them to stay only as long as their sentence permits, make sure they're behaving, then they can get parole faster and more efficiently, right?"

"That's an intelligent way to go about it, but, some of them are bloodthirsty and uncooperative." Bane reminded her, "There are a few loopholes in your plan."

"It's because I haven't told you all of it. I want a hospital in the basement." She told him, and he nodded, putting a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches on plates for them, and setting the plates at the table.

"So that they can be medically helped when needed?" Bane questioned, and she nodded. "Hm. It seems like- you've let out as little information to me as you can." She smiled gently,

"I want it to be a surprise." Lily smiled, and looked at the utterly burnt and inedible grilled cheese sandwich in front of her. A branch of strawberries, lowered in front of them, even as she tried to eat the sandwich.

"Don't force yourself, I know it's too burnt to be of much help." Bane laughed, pushing up his mask to eat a few strawberries. Lily ate some too, and smiled,

"I enjoy this simple life- I hope that when the institution is open, others will enjoy it's simplicity too." She said, smiling gently, "Thank you for not just- well- paralyzing Mr. Wayne." Bane scoffed,

"He deserved it, I was being merciful…" Bane grumbled, eating more strawberries, but ily smiled.

"I'm not having sex with you, I just got home." Lily said bluntly, and Bane coughed and chokes on the strawberry he had just eaten. "I know that's what you want, but, maybe, a little later." Bane calmed down, looking at her, "I'd rather be married first."

"Then- I will get a ring of some sort." Something slammed against the door leading to the sewers, as Bane finished saying that. There was a series of growls and whines, as scratching ensued.

"Poor Swamp Daddy wants in." Lily said sadly, a vine unlocking the door, and Croc crawled in with a bag in his mouth. "Swamp daddy? What's that in your mouth?" Croc wagged his tail vigorously, and dropped the bag on the table. It opened and an array of diamond-encrusted jewelry spilled onto the table. Thick necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other diamonds. Croc growled happily, nuzzling against her.

"Looks like he brought in some income that even I couldn't get if I sold Venom." Bane said, picking up a necklace. "They've lost their luster- he must have brought them from whatever storage he keeps his things. If we clean them up, we could probably sell them for a high price, and fund this institution. For once it looks like Croc was the one who brought home the bacon." Croc laid his head in her lap and she laughed a little, petting him affectionately.

"You've don't a very good job, Croc. Thank you for getting these." Lily smiled, and Croc purred harder as she pet him, Croc's taloned hands on her thighs, chin between his hands, tail trashing about happy.

"Time to start looking, I guess." Bane sighed, "We out to try to find the biggest building and just renovate it." Lily nodded, "If needed, I'm sure the boss at my part-time job would be willing to part with scraps of wood." Bane added, and she smiled, "Croc would even help too- I doubt that they come with basements, and Croc could dig if he wanted to." Lily smiled,

"Then its settled. All we need it a name for our building." Lily smiled, and Bane thought about it, but it was Croc who gave the answer.

"Black Willow." Croc growled, and they looked at him curiously. "Black Willow." Bane and Lily looked at each other.

" 'The Black Willow Institute for the Criminally Insane'." Bane murmured, "Sounds about right- deceitful and a good cover up." Lily hugged Croc,

"Good job, Big Daddy!" she congratulated, and Croc growled, 'good job'. A happy, small, content family. That were going to be starting an mental institution for Gotham City's worst criminals. Ah, the happy days.


	8. Chapter 8

Queen of Venom

Chapter 8

-7 Months after Lily's return to the Garden of Eden-

"Miss Patricia, you're scheduled for a transfer today." The nurse told her, the woman looking up, "If you behave, we won't tranquilize you."

"Where am I going?" The girl asked, and The nurse checked the papers on her clip board.

"It seems you'll be going to Black Willow." The nurse informed her, "It's new. Black Willow Institute for the Criminally Insane." The girl blinked. "They're here already- will you cooperate today?" She weakly nodded, and the nurse removed her restraints.

A large, black, prisoner transport truck was waiting for her. The initials, 'B.W.I. C.I' in bold, crisp, white letters on the back doors. Two burly men in skin-tight, black body suits, stood on either side of the two back doors. They wore gas masks over their faces, and slick black boots, accompanies by combat boots. Their hands were behind their backs, and they watched the girl and the nurse like hawks. "This is (harley quinn's real name)'s file." The nurse handed to file to one of the men. "She's offered her cooperation." They grunted and opened the doors, The girl entering, before they entered and shut the doors behind them.

One of the men patted the small window between the back and the driver's seat. The engine roared to life, and the truck peeled out, as the one with the file made a phone call. "2nd in command, we've collected the fresh transfer. File and all. Over." There was a buzz from his walkie talkie on his shoulder.

"_-buzzt- Good work. Take extra precaution- the weather's supposed to be bad tonight. See you boys when you get home. Over and out."_

"I think you'll enjoy, Black Willow, Miss Quinn." The guard with her file purred, "The Warden will greet you before you enter, of course." The girl looked down.

"The Warden has gotten BIG." The other officer commented to his fellow, who looked over. "I know, but hey, it happens." "I know, but still. All they do is sleep all day." "Its exhausting to walk around with a huge gut, now shut your mouth." After a few minutes of the men's bickering, there was some mechanical gargle from the front area, before the vehicle came to a sharp stop. "OW! What the fuck, Jake, hit the brakes harder!" One of the officers yelled at the front, the girl watching as the driver and the passenger in the front high-fived.

The two opened the back doors and the men helped her out gentleman-like, before shutting the doors as she looked at her new home. It was a tall hotel, black and gloomy, almost foreboding. The truck drove off and the two lead her into the building. "Just a second." One of them said, before she was blindfolded. When the blindfold was removed, the girl found herself in a light blue room, alone, unshackles and unchained. A new guard, came into the room, from the only door in the room. He was bigger than the others, 6 feet tall, the suit looked a big- strained- and he didn't have a walkie talkie. A long tail swished back and forth behind him, and he stood against the wall, hands behind his back. Someone in a wheel chair, was wheeled into the room.

"Hello." A woman in the wheel chair greeted her, "Welcome to Black Willow. I'm Lily." The man behind her, bigger than the first, wore a suit that looked like it was about to break as the slightest movement, and wore a belt with a large skull belt-buckle. "These are my assistants."

"I thought the warden was coming," The girl said, laughing.

"I am the Warden…" Lily said quietly, dark red hair in a long braid, "My assistants and I founded this institution…Help me up, will you?" The tailed guard helped her to her feet, and she huffed, "I would like to welcome you to Black Willow. This may be an institution, but we won't keep you in a cell here, aside from your bedroom, if you wish to go there. We only ask that you cooperate with us, and don't leave, aside from that, you may do what you wish. If you want something, ask, and we will provide it for you."

"It sounds more like a hotel than an institute." The girl commented,

"Exactly. We only request you behave. The better you behave, the faster you can get parole, and the faster you can leave. We don't believe in abuse to our inmates that will start riots." Lily said, "You were once called 'Harley Quinn', yes? Would you like to keep that name?" She nodded, "Alright then. Let me show you to your room…" She waddled back to her wheel chair and plopped back down in it. "It gets hard to walk when you're pregnant, but my assistants will only allow me to walk so much." She said, rubbing her 32 week pregnant stomach.

"Can I- touch your stomach?" Harley asked, and Lily smiled, nodding, and she put her hands on her stomach, before jolting, "The baby kicked!" Lily laughed, "Whose the father?" Lily frowned,

"He left me long ago, for his job." Lily sighed, and the large bodyguard behind her wheeled her out of the room, Harley following, as the tailed guard pulled up the rear. Other criminals were in the institution, the Warden waving and greening some, some just following behind her. "Here we are- this is your room." The warden smiled, her tailed guard opening the door to Harley's room. "4th floor, room 304. This room alone is all yours. There's a pad of paper inside, and if you could write down what you want for your room, that would be never helpful. You have until the end of the day. Your cold costume is also in the closet, fi you wish to wear it, as well as a fresh prisoner's uniform. U will need to wear it only on directed occasions."

Harley smiled and nodded, and the warden was wheeled away, other criminals following her.

~O~ Black Willow's Garden. ~O~

Staff workers and volunteering inmates, picked fresh vegetables and fruit from the trees. The Warden reached up to grab a apple from a tree, but her body guard got it for her, shined it on his uniform, before giving it to her. "Thank you." She smiled, and took a bite of it.

"W…Warden may I sit next to you?" An inmate asked, and she nodded, the inmate shyly sat next to her, on a bench, under the tree. "When are you due?"

"In a few weeks or so." Lily answered,

"Do you know what it will be?" The inmate asked, and she smiled with a nod. "What are you going to name it."

"I don't know, but I know it's going to be a boy. I haven't decided on a name. I think I'll let the inmates and the staff decide." Lily smiled and her body guards sat down,

"I think that'd be a great idea! I-I like the name Riddick." The inmate said shyly, and she smiled

"Well, when I do the poll, make sure to put that on your card." Lily smiled, gently rubbing her stomach, "I just hope he comes out healthy." The inmate bid her good bye and continued to help pick food. Another inmate came up, "Ah, Riddler, how are you?"

"How do you know it was me?" A man in a green pin-strip suit asked, and she smiled,

"I try to know all my inmates." She answered honestly, before the Riddle pulled a riddle.

"What has for legs in the morning, two in the evening, and 3 at night?" "Man." She answered immediately. "You're no fun, Warden!" Lily smiled gently, "The Joker wants to play cards with you."

"Ok." She smiled sweetly, "After my nap though." Her body guards got up and wheeled her back to the elevator, and they were taken to the pent house. "Bane, help me up." The one who pushed her, lifted her up with ease and set her down in her bed. "Thank you." Bane nodded, "I'm going to go to sleep- behave boys." She smiled, Bane tucking her in, just before she closed her eyes. Croc pulled the curtains shut, "No…I'd like them open a little." He opened the a little, looking at her. "Yes…like that." Croc slid under her bed, as Bane left the room to secure all possible entrances into the penthouse.

He went into a small room that had a radio, and took off his mask, wearing his normal wrestling mask underneath, before pressing the button on the intercom.

"_Attention all off-duty guards, switch with On-Duty and execute a Full Range Guard until informed otherwise." _Bane's voice boomed over the loud speakers on all the floors. The guards on floor switched with bulkier, stronger, medieval axe-wielding guards. _"Relaxation gases will be released, ass masks on."_

Bane pulled his gas mask back on, and pressed a blue button, a label over it that said 'relax gas'. Vents opened un in the lower floors, and a light green gas gently poured from gargoyle's mouths. "What's with the gas?" Harley Quinn asked another inmate,

"Oh, it's relaxing to us- the Guards aren't allowed to have any, they have to stay alert." The other inmate said. It smelt of honeydew.

Lily slept quietly in her bed, her hands folded on her stomach as she slumbered. Croc's tail slowly wrapped around one side of the bed, as Bane came into the room and sat in a chair not too far from the bed. His walkie-talkie beeped, and Bane groaned, getting back to his feet, and stepping out of the room, Croc rolling on to his back comfortable under the bed. "What is it?" Bane growled into the walkie talkie.

'_The Penguin would like to have a private meeting with the Warden. Mr. Freeze and the Penguin are here, they say they'll only talk to the Warden about their meeting. Over.' _The voice of another guard on a floor below them, informed him. Bane rubbed his temples,

"The Warden is asleep, they're not coming up. Over." Bane responded, looking at Lily, "…" He looked at the long window that viewed into the suit she slept in. Bane and Croc has both broken down room dividers and completely remodeled this floor.

'_They're threatening to start a riot, sir. Over.'_

"How big of a riot? Over." Bane said, groaning again, Croc looking at him from under the King-sized bed. "We may be having guests." Croc growled and got out from under the bed, "I know, we never seem to catch a break."

'_Floors 6-9, sir. Over.' _

Bane rolled his eyes, "I guess it can't be avoided. Let them up, Over." Bane responded, going to the main elevator. He pulled out a ring of keys. The elevator brought them up to a small room, about 5'x 7', before the door to the actual penthouse. The door itself, had 8 different bad locks that required keys from the inside- each was different, but 5 needed a code of some sort. It was the same on the basement floor, but all needed a single keycard that needed to be swiped through the locks in a certain pattern. The guard, Penguin, and Mr. Freeze, appeared as the elevator doors opened.

"Welcome to the penthouse." Bane greeted, and Croc threw himself against a long window that looked into the room, and scared the hell out of them all. "Stand by." Bane's fingers moved swiftly as he put in codes and turned locks, before opening the door. Croc ran into Lily's room, "The warden is this way. I'll take it from here." The guard nodded and went back to the elevator as Bane led them to Lily's room. Croc had propped her to a leaning back position with pillows, and she looked at the two drowsily.

"Oh, hello." Lily said, before yawning, covering her mouth with a hand. "I'm sorry, I just woke up. How can I help you two?" Penguin stared at her stomach, as did Mr. Freeze. "My eyes, gentlemen," She tapped her stomach, and then pointed to her eyes, "Are up here."

"We'd like to ask if you could add fish to the menu, in the cafeterias." Penguin said, and she blinked,

"Is that all?"

"Could my room be 10 degrees colder?" Freeze asked, "Penguin and I both want pets too."

"I'll cut off all heating to your room, Mr. Freeze." Lily said, and he smiled happily, "I'll see about the fish, a lot of people are allergic here. Then again, we do need fish oil in our diet to be healthy." Penguin grinned, "The pets- I'll have to see. If you two get pets, everyone had to get a pet, you understand, right?" They nodded. "I will consider it, if you make me up a plan for the pets- where we'll keep them, who will clean their cages, if they'll be feeding duty, or residents who are allergic. Please take everything into consideration. When you're done with your list, ask for me, and I'll look it over. Have a good day." She smiled, waving.

Bane showed them out, standing in between the door to the penthouse and the two inmates, waiting for the elevator. "Do you know, who the father of her baby is? it's the hottest topic." Mr. Freeze asked Bane, who kept his gaze forward and hands behind his back.

"She's sad so before. She had a husband who left her for his job. I believe it was him." Bane said vaguely, and Penguin frowned,

"As her personal body guard, you should have jucier information!" The Penguin stated, and Bane kept looking forward.

"I assure you, that she knew the risks when she copulated. Do you think she will be a bad mother? Raising her child around criminals?" Bane asked them, keeping his gaze forward, and scoffed,

"We're not criminals. We're people with special needs. The Warden knows that, why can't you know that too?" Mr. Freeze asked, arms crossed over his chest, as the elevator doors opened, and the two vanished behind the closed doors. Lily had fallen right back asleep when Bane returned.

Bane knew this all too well. "Hm." He said simply, and returned to his chair in Lily's room, after locking everything up. "Croc, do you think we'll be good parents?" Croc growled, nodding, "I think so too." Croc hissed, spat something, and Bane rolled his eyes, "Tell me about it, Croc. This is bullshit. No drinking from the honey pot, no sex, no sexual acts. She won't even let us rub her feet, and the fuss she makes when we want to take her out of the institution's boundaries!" Croc growled, nodding, "Her pheromones have taken a toll."

"If you keep talking about me, I'll run away when the baby is born." Lily said, and Bane chuckled,

"Over my dead body. Croc's too." Croc hissed, and then meowed cattily. Lily smiled, Bane getting up and going to a small fridge in the room and opening it, pulling out a baby's bottle of milk. Bane shut the fridge and croc whimpered, "Shut up, Croc." Bane growled,

"Don't be mean to poor Swamp Daddy, he didn't do anything wrong, unlike you." Lily said, Bane sitting down and unscrewing the top of the baby bottle, pushing up his mask.

"I didn't do anything wrong either." Bane responded calmly, taking off the piece of tape on the bottle that had 'B' on it, before drinking from the bottle.

"Liars go to hell, Bane." Lily reminded him, looking at him. "I told you, that my breast milk is for the baby, not you." Bane didn't stop drinking, nor did he pause in his indulgence. "Big Daddy, get that bottle away from him. Please." Croc growled and jumped, "Don't spill any of the milk, please." Bane grabbed Crocs tail, whipped him around, and threw Croc away from him, before drinking down the last of the milk. "Never mind now, Swamp Daddy, it's fine." Croc whined, "Don't worry about it, Swamp Daddy." Croc whimpered and put his muzzle under her hand, and she pet him.

"I'd rather drink it straight from the cow than from a bottle." Bane grumbled, and Lily looked over.

"Excuse me?" Lily asked sharply, and Bane chuckled,

"If I smack your ass, will you spray milk? Like in those strange sex comics I've been reading recently?" Bane asked honestly, and Croc growled, Lily's mentality snapping.

"What!" She hollered, "Stop reading those sorts of things, Bane! Get out right now! Go on, shoo!" Lily snapped at him, and Bane swiftly left the room. "You ask me the damnedest things, Bane!" She yelled at him frantically, before calming down. Croc purred and nuzzled her hand. Lily sighed and closed her eyes, falling asleep as Bane grabbed another bottle form the fridge.


	9. Chapter 9

Queen of Venom

Chapter 9

"How can you not have my medication?" The Riddler demanded, and the nurse frowned, "Everyone has medication!" He hollered at her, and the nurse was replaced with a doctor, who was trying to calm him down.

"Excuse me, Riddler, what ever is the matter?" The green-jump suited man whipped around, the Warden in her wheel chair not too far away from him, her lizard-like body guard behind her.

"Warden Lily, they don't have my medication." The Riddle whined, and she smiled gently,

"Big daddy, wheel me up to the window so I can get this problem solved." Lily asked, and the guard behind her growled, before slowly wheeling her to the window. He withdrew and out his hands behind his back, standing idly and attentively, "What seems to be the fuss here, gentlemen?"

"We have to save the medication, he takes too much. There won't be enough for the rest of the medicated patients." The doctor informed her, and Lily looked at her bodyguard,

"Do the basement doctors have a separate storage of all the medications we offer in this building?" She asked, and her guard nodded, "Go and liberate that storage as quickly as possible, while I order more. Take as many guards as you can." Lily ordered, and Her guard growled affirmatively. "Please wait a little while the medicine comes up, ok everyone?" The inmates relaxed around, "Thank you for understanding-" Lily said, before she shuddered, and coughed into her hand, looking at her palm, blood tricking from her mouth, "Oh, this can't be good." She murmured, before coughing up more blood.

"Warden-!" The Riddle yelled, the other inmates broke into the medical room, and pulled the doctors out to help her. Bane came from out of nowhere, picked her up, and rushed her to the basement. A few of the inmates followed, as Bane kicked open the door to the emergency clinic in the basement floor.

"She's going into critical condition!" The doctors raved, running around the room that had a long glass window where others could go and watch. "She's losing blood!" "Doctor, her heart rate is fluctuating strangely!" Croc and bane were the only ones allowed in the room, and the nurses closed the blinds to the viewers.

~O~ a few days later, Gotham City ~O~

"Make sure to not forget a single box, we need all of them." Bane instructed, at the medical supple warehouse of Wayne Corp. He checked off various things on the clip board in his hands,

"Doing a decent day's work, huh?" Bane looked over his shoulder, the warehouse owner not too far away. He directed his attention back to the clip board, writing down a few things,

"Just trying to play it by the book, Wayne." Bane responded, trying not to pay much attention to the multi-billionaire. "Thank you for being so helpful. We'll be leaving soon, so, don't worry about us."

"I wonder who could make you act this way." Bruce mused a loud, Bane's eye twitching under his mask. What a hassle.

"Its seems that the enterprise you're working with, has taken all of Gotham's worst criminals, and put them in one place. I'd actually be very interested in seeing your establishment and meeting the Warden." Bruce told Bane, and Bane mentally groaned. Why did he have to even exchange words with Bruce?

"It's not my enterprise, per se." Bane responded, "The staff hold all the stocks evenly, and the Warden holds none for themselves. Besides, the Warden is sick. I'm their stand in."

"Then will you be willing to show me around the facility?" Bruce asked somewhat hopefully, as the guards loaded the last of the boxes into the trucks.

"I act upon the Warden's best wishes, and I believe their answer would be the same as mine- No. Excuse me, we must be going. The inmates are finicky about their medication." Bane said, the guards closing up the truck, as he got in the passenger seat.

"If you expect to get more medical supplies from me, I'll need to have a meeting with the Warden."

"Expect such a thing in the near future." Bane grumbled, shutting his door, and the semi truck drove off.

~O~ Black Willow Institute ~O~

The curtains to the hospital room had been opened when Lily stabilized. The Doctors didn't rush around so frantically, now that blood was fed to her on an iv, as were her body's nutrients. She laid in the bed, an oxygen mask over her mouth and her nose, as she breathed gently. A doctor approached the window, putting their finger to an intercom that linked to one on the other side of the window.

"_Miss Lily has stabilized, thankfully, and the baby is still healthy. We are unsure of what cause her blood loss, but, we are giving her more from the storage. She's on her last bag of blood, in compensation of what she lost." _The doctor reported, Croc hissing and growling in the background, as he snapped both playfully and angrily, at the ankles of the nurses and doctors who warmed Lily's bedside. Bane pressed the intercom button on his side, a few inmates behind him.

"That's good news. We've brought the new shipment of medicine. I also have a few reports to give her." Bane said, and the doctor spoke to some nurses, before getting back to him.

"_She's just resting her eyes. Do you wish for her to be moved closer to the intercom?" _The doctor asked, as a few nurses helped her sit up as best as she could in her bed.

"_Did you get the medicine for the inmates, Bane?" _Lily asked, a phone to her ear, but her voice came from the intercom.

"Yes, the full shipment. It was a bit more expensive than we estimated, but, we got much more than we originally estimated as well." Bane reported, checking his clip board, "According to how much medication we give to our inmates, and how we're slowly lowering the done, we should beset for 3 years f they all become independent. F not, we're set for a year or two." Lily nodded, "Bruce Wayne- also wants to see the facility." She frowned. "Or- he'll stop supplying us."

"_I see…What did you tell him?" _

"I told him to look forward to our phone call in the near future." Bane responded, and Lily nodded,

"_I will cooperate with the doctors so I can heal. Help the inmates slowly get off their medication, but don't rush the process we've been taking. Our inmates are on their own schedules, and they will become uncomfortable if we force them, I believe. Call Mr. Wayne and tell him that I will meet with him when I, indeed, get better. They say I need to get more time out in the sun- that the fresh air will help me heal better." _Lily said gently, _"Don't force the inmates on my account, Bane. They didn't do anything wrong."_

"I understand. I will come and get you later." Bane promised, and she nodded, as she hung up the phone and took a nap.

"We want a really big card!" The Riddler told Bane, who looked down at him, "So that all the inmates can sign it!" Bane nodded,

"We have some in the second floor storage closet." Bane said simply, "I'll get it out for you." Bane said simply,

"She looks so sad. How beautiful." Man bat said lowly, touching the window. "I wish to watch her more."

"Stay in the hallway, no one is allowed in the room." Bane told them, "The Warden has a very weak immune system. If you go in there, you might bring an airborne bacteria in, and kill her." The inmates went rigid, "Wait until she comes out." They inmates gave him mixed responses, but he left to get the card, and Croc slept on top of Lily's legs.

Everything went normal. Some inmates were allowed to visit her. Only a few a day, and she'd converse with them occasionally. Slowly, she regained her health, and was even strong enough to walk around. Croc and Bane stayed close, attentive, and as caring as always. "Please, arrange that meeting with Mr. Wayne." Lily smiled to Bane, who hesitated, as she sat in the 3rd floor botanical garden, all the windows open to let in more air. Man bat was sleeping on the branch of a tree next to her, and Penguin had fallen asleep in the garden, his head in her lap. "I will not force the inmates into submission, when I have given them their freedom. Make sure I go somewhere other than here, I don't think the inmates would be all too willing to go into their rooms out of the blue." She gently moved penguin aside and stood up, "I'll walk today."

"I implore you to use your wheelchair." Bane said, and she shook her head, rubbing her stomach,

"He wants to go for a walk." She smiled gently, "Please get the car ready, and phone ahead to Mr. Wayne." Bane didn't respond, and she put her hand on his arm, "Please, Bane. I'll get right back to my wheel chair." She promised, and Bane nodded,

"I will…make the calls."

~O~ Wayne Corp. ~O~

She pressed the button to the elevator and waited 4 seconds, before pressing it a few more times. "What is up with this? There should be at least one that's already on the ground." Lily huffed moodily, and Bane and Croc stood on either side of her, in large, floor-length trench coats and long hats. "This is doing nothing good for me, boys."

"Need a hand?" A velvety voice asked, and they all looked over, the smile on the man's face, dropping. "Its you." Lily looked back and she blinked,

"Ah, um, Bruce, right? Do you work here?" Lily asked him, smiling, and he looked at her stomach.

"I thought maybe you'd just been on vacation, but you're pregnant." Bruce said, astonished, and she smiled, rubbing her stomach lovingly,

"Mh-hmm…" she confirmed, before smiling as the elevator doors opened, "Finally, these doors open. Are you taking the elevator too?" She asked, and he nodded, all four of them entering the elevator.

"So…Whose the father?" Bruce asked her gently, and she rubbed her stomach,

"Someone I care very much about." She said, smiling, "I know- its weird to have a baby out of wed-lock, but, I don't want to force the baby's father to bind themselves to me if they don't want to do it voluntarily." Lily told him, Bane and Croc looking at one another, before glaring at one another. "I'm on my way to floor 15." Bruce grinned,

"As am I. I'm on my way to a meeting. You too?" He asked and she smiled, nodding, "You know…if the father doesn't come forward, then," Bruce blushes faintly, rubbing the back of his neck, "I wouldn't mind taking you in." Bane and Croc glared at the billionaire heatedly, Lily totally oblivious to their anger, before the elevator doors opened, and a clerk greeted them,

"Oh, It's good that you're both here. Let's get to the meeting." The Clerk said, Bruce and Lily hesitating.

"You're- Bruce Wayne? Of Wayne corp.?" Lily asked him, and he nodded, "You're the Warden of the Black Willow Institute for the Criminally Insane?" Lily laughed, nodding, "Well, this should be enlightening."

~O~ Meeting Room ~O~

"The facility is always clean, despite it's many floors, we have a hospital in the basement, and we are slowly waning our patients off medication, though, we have a different approach to 'cells' than other institutions." Lily explained, Bruce nodding,

"Explain this to me." Bruce said, and she smiled, as Croc handed Bruce a file,

"Indeed, each patient gets their own room, but, I believe that if they are kept in a cell, they become mentally unstable, so, we allow them to decorate their rooms. The more unstable, I personally help to calm down, and through a 5 step process, they too get their own room. Criminals are people too, and if treated as criminals, they act out and lash out. We let them roam with conditions that are easy to follow, and slowly decrease their dosage of medication week by week." Bruce nodded, reading the file, "There are indoor gardens, that the inmates are allowed to freely roam, and we use to release relaxation gas, though, it's bee requested that the gas be turned off. We haven't really introduced outsiders to the inmates yet, but, We've set up a visitor's day about a month from now, so we have enough time to collect from the inmates who they want to hear from." Bruce looked at her,

"The idea for all of this- where did you get it?" Bruce asked, and she smiled bashfully,

"Actually, from, these two. I saw how badly society treated them- like they weren't even people, but animals. I want there to be a friendly environment, where everyone is treated the same; like human beings." she said, and Bruce nodded, "You may fund us, or you may not fund us, but I will not have my inmates go without treatment, when they're so close to being themselves again." Bane grunted something to Lily, and she sighs, waving him off, "I'll be fine here, but come back quickly." Her two guards turned and left the room, before she turned back to Bruce, "For example, the 'Penguin'. Our lawyers have gotten him his company back, and advised that he stick to fishing import and export, so that he can share his love of fish with everyone. He's, actually, almost done with his process. He has no family, nor relatives, so instead of a visiting day, I will take him to a place of his choosing, and watch him carefully." Bruce nodded,

"Do you not fear that these criminals will kill you and your unborn child?" Bruce asked, and she smiled,

"There is always that possibility, but those two keep me on the penthouse, a fortress, and when I feel well enough to go to the lower floors, I stay in the gardens, and even calm those who seek it. They seek me out and enjoy rubbing my stomach. It may be a false reality, but I believe they care for me." Bruce nodded,

"I want to inspect your asylum, I want you to lead the inspection, and a date." She blinked, and Bruce smiled, "I'll come and get you around 8 tomorrow- dress and everything." She blushed,

"I-I don't think-" She started, and he stood,

"Never mind that. I'll see you." Bruce smirked, making her angrily stand up,

"Croc! Bane!" The two entered the room, "Negotiations are over, take me home." Lily commanded, and Croc ventured over, picking her up, "Stop." He did so, and Lily looked back at Bruce, "Fund us or not, we will help those people, whether we have to take it by force or not. Croc." Croc growled and carried her out, Bane looking at Bruce, before turning away too.


End file.
